Don’t Wave That Constitution at Me! :: SteynOnline

If you missed our anthology edition of The Hundred Years Ago Show earlier today, I hope you’ll want to give it a listen: it’s a particularly grand sampling of the headlines and hits from 1922.

Meanwhile, welcome to Part Twenty-Two of our current Tale for Our Time – our vernal diversion by Anthony Trollope, The Fixed Period. For his bold, progressive approach to the societal burden of human longevity, President Neverbend now finds himself supplanted by a colonial governor. As Fran Lavery, a First Weekend Founding Member of The Mark Steyn Club from New Mexico, wrote an episode or two back:

Gee, I almost expected to hear someone shout at Mr. Neverbend, ‘Don’t wave your Constitution at me!’ Excellent reading, here. Bravo, Mark.

Indeed. Whatever the citizenry’s feelings on the “Fixed Period”, it is beginning to dawn on them that the British Crown has nullified not only that but their entire constitutional order. In tonight’s episode, the new Governor encounters a bit of pushback:

There were many there who had been glad to see a ship of war come in to stop the Fixed Period, but hardly one who was pleased to lose his own independence. “But though that is so,” said Sir Ferdinando, a little nettled at the want of admiration with which his words had been received, “H.M. Government is under the necessity of putting an end to the constitution under which the Fixed Period can be allowed to prevail… It has therefore sent me out to assume the reins, and to undertake the power, and to bear the responsibility of being your governor during a short term of years. Who shall say what the future may disclose? For the present I shall rule here…

“I shall endeavour to follow your wishes, and so to govern you that you may still feel that you are living under the rule of a president of your own selection.” Here I cannot but think that Sir Ferdinando was a little rash. He did not quite know the extent of my popularity, nor had he gauged the dislike which he himself would certainly encounter. He had heard a few voices in the hall, which, under fear of death, had expressed their dislike to the Fixed Period; but he had no idea of the love which the people felt for their own independence, or,—I believe I may say,—for their own president. There arose in the hall a certain amount of clamour, in the midst of which Sir Ferdinando sat down.

To listen to the twenty-second episode of The Fixed Period, please click here and log-in. If you’re late getting started on this current Tale, you’ll find the story so far here.

Tales for Our Time began as an experimental feature we introduced as a bonus for Mark Steyn Club members, and, as you know, I said if it was a total stinkeroo, we’d eighty-six the thing and speak no more of it. But I’m thrilled to say it’s proved very popular, and is now approaching its sixth season. If you’re a Club member and you incline more to the stinkeroo side of things, give it your best in the comments section below. But, either way, do join me tomorrow evening, a couple of hours after Monday’s Mark Steyn Show on GB News, for Part Twenty-Three of The Fixed Period.