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Cartoon of drunk MP, 1856

Image

Astute observers of Parliament were found inside the House as well as outside. In the 1850s and 1860s, Member of Parliament Alfred Domett captured the foibles and habits of his fellow parliamentarians, preserving them in a small sketchbook. His 1856 drawing shows one of his colleagues, flanked by two burly police officers, staggering home the worse for wear.

Credit

Alexander Turnbull Library 
Alfred Domett, 1856. 'Scene, St Georges Bay – Time 1/2 past 2 a.m. (N.B. the house rose at Nine). "The honneblemember will resumehizzat."'
Reference: A-090-023
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any reuse of this image.

How to cite this page

Cartoon of drunk MP, 1856, URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/cartoon-drunk-mp-1856, (Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated