(Uproarious applause). Again
Monsieur Souley rose, and amid shouts of--'question!' said the
question was of no kind of consequence, that he always went on the
principle of making himself heard. Further attempts to rein up
Monsieur Souley would have been sheer madness; so he continued his
speech, which included fifty irrelevant topics without discussing
one. He even charged Louis Napoleon with poisoning the champagne.
Whatever of truth there might be in the charge, we only know that the
speaker ere he had concluded his speech found himself standing alone,
the whole Congress having dropped off into a profound sleep. Becoming
indignant at this display of indifference, he stopped suddenly,
commanded the waiters to wake up the sleepers, and himself commenced
an uproar by smashing the tumblers and decanters, after the fashion of
a French fiddler in for a frolic. The company with one accord offered
an apology, joined in drinking the health of the speaker, charged the
delinquency to the strength of the poisoned champagne rather than that
of the speech--(which was narcotic, rather), and adjourned to meet in
Duitenethipicgnisher's Hall, at twelve o'clock on the following
morning.
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