The Express.
London, England, 1850-05-31 00:00:00

THE NEW HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Affair ecomrpias ,at now, an advaneed period of
the notaneth esesles. dui elnimbir heettl.7 and temperrily
'Med spier Mew tam their unlucky boom* out iw
Haim% MA Hie Arm of cosmos es poolorday noes
Mak formal pommies of the se 11 end penmenent 'Weber
wild* has been se lea; la preparetioe. The mg• r and m-
aid Mr of the members, who gathered is unusual numbers
Ira He beaker st the firm menhir of the dun, toiled
the Wens" of tie umene. It was Weed a moment to
ei egailete lioulate eadmolarm Hielopieal amocietices sad Inning
ef legidath and popular triump
=Oa the amt %Wad witbNs obi earing the
...neenseleneases of preseat empire sad the vague pro
..7.-pet ta;me,glery. But the unionist Mellon of the
.Idhor was a se. ..setais how far
W new ahem of wadi prove available fee.
the modal purpose w wee to he devoted. What
wage the esannienees fee siiiiagopeakieg, homing, votiag,
ami general Minim hammering it weld Word to the rs-
peaffeatatin legidabore With what architectural Above
menesi beauties weft these ONlVlSitßeell digitated f
▪ what moles= lir bumf
w: masteries the fervid We-
eiTiof andllde to them important
meggnieed funotiourise who were to cola the triaged
mob ami matsrialine them Mt° primed golumne for the
oilimefea of the world ? trpon all them Finis she im-
Eziethae gut looniest was, we most wise, we of
t. Having net so much time, MOM and
W sew hall uppers ineignilieut and bewoly.
Omapered with the mem Itiaseory ef the Haase
Peers in deaelitiens Ma k rade rod mrseboneem Aad be-
friar **bum of ow oesvenagea sad **mho of walls
when key-note I. youpaknown both to speakers and hearers,
the seensike of the clinaleer mem but moderately puha.
Mum And obeervatiem however, will, we apprehend,
ennelienably modify that first depresistory imprenion. Viewed
ea
ea t desigued fee the rough and prattles' bod-
ing, oflaw-making, the now Home of Commeas cannot be
seemed of undue homalisess, nor, although even hichulisi
the palladia it can hardly econanodate two thirds of the
aggregate number of npresentatins, will it, save upon very
rare occasions, prove iseoaveniendy contracted. There are
inlay reasons why members should be sometimes too war to
be at nee than gourally too far off to be pereeptible and
audible. _ _

ulnas of Commons offers little mope /or piotureeque
description. It is • quadrangular chamber, 46 feet broad,
48 high, and 82 is /sag* from screen to screen, but with
projecting galleries at each end, that neloce it very nearly in
appearance to • cube. The Speaker's chair is placed at the
east end, with the clerk's table beton, it. On one side and
the other are fire rows of green-cushioned seats, rising in
steps to the walls; and between them, what is technically
called the " floor" of the house, oessiating of • Forage some
18 feet in width, covered with a plain red carpet. Opposite
the Speaker's chair is an arched doorway, whoee peen bake
valves, pierced with glass panel,, revolve noiselessly upon
the passage of the members, while two smalleresabouehures,
in the middle of each aide wall, offer a new and
convenient mode of exit during • crowded sitting.
Above are two galleries along the length of the house, with a
row of seats like Shoe* in the body ; and at the west end, full
in the eye of the speaker, rises a steep escarpment of benches
all appropriated to the members, who** confused hum gave
occasion yesterday for the introduction of a novel phrase of
remonstrance from the chair, in the injunction of" Order in
the gallery." Behiod and above the broad west end gallery
the wall is perforated with a kind of gothic grille, through,
whose apertures we perceived the unaccustomed eight of fe-
male faces peering curiously upon • scene to which
the gallant efforts of a Berkeley have heretofore proved
insufficient to secure their admission. A similar grille
at the ether end, behind the Speaker's chair, is appropriated
to the masculine public; and below them, on a level with
the members' galleries, and commanding a full view of all
parts of the house, is a double range of sesta, capable of
accommodating between thirty and forty persons, where the
sloping desks sad stooped ink-wells proclaim its distinction
to the representatives of the prem. When we add that on
either side of the front door facing the Speaker is placed •
railed box, something like a jury-hex, capable of yield-
ing sm-oomfortable sitting room for eighteen, and intended
for the occupation of noble visitors from the peers, we have
said all there is to say of the new chamber, so far as regards
its orators and anditon.

Along the wall above the longitudinal galleries stretches •
range of windows broken up into arched compartments of
Gothic outline, but separated by thin pilasters of carved
work, so that the whole length presents a but slightly inter-
rupted surface of plate glass, affording ample light during
the day, while for the night gas jet, are abundantly distri-
buted 'round the walls, and will, we hope, secure the ab-
sence In time to come of those pendant burners which in the
present: house interfere so much with the comfort and the
distinctneas of vision. The ceiling, of brown oak, is rotten-
fated into • successicn of quadrangles with richly carved bor.
does; and the panel fronts of the galleries all round are made
of same material, garnished with chisel-work of a non-
descript but symmetrical character. In the centre window;
on one side, is inserted a frame enriched with gaudily tinted
glass, bearing the heraldic emblazonment' of the
cities of London and Westminster. Further than this
the hall I* distinguished by • total absence of colouring,
unless the red carpet sad green cushions can be claimed as
exceptions. All else is plain wood and white stucco. Taken
es • whole the aspect of the house is that of plain and
basins's-like severity, very excellently adapted for the deli-
berations of legislators, who have sometimes to scrutinise •
nation's expenditure, and peas resolutions enforcing the most
striment economy, and bearing few tokens that it -belong" to
a• fins which has coat two millions of money, in order to
deserve the title, somewhat inappropriately bestowed, of the
Palace of Westminster.

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.-MEETINO TO OPPOSE TEE
PeAmami Cliamom.—Yeeterday a meeting of the officers
or supporters of friendly or benefit societies was held at the
King's dams, Palace-yard, for the purpose of petitioning
Parbanunt against two bills lately introduced, one ma-
ntled " The flaring Ranks Bill," and the other " A Bill to
Consolidate and Amend the Laws relating to Friendly Bo-
defies." The Rev. Richard Hodson was voted to the chair,
wed *pada the busing., of the day by a statement of the
evils which would be inflicted on friendly societies if the two
hi. before the house were suffered to pees into
a law. The result would be the reduction of in-
quiet arm deposits hitherto lodged with the government,
sad a great national advantage would be entirely lost to the
seeketiee, bemuse government reposed to give only 24. 15s.
per mat apes their deposits. They could exist no longer
as friendly societies, if the interest upon their money wee to
be eivineed to 2f per ant. True it wu teat, in the clause
arida gave 21 per cent, they were supposed to be treated
to es extension of privilege as to their investments, via.,
that they might invest upon mortgage of leasehold and
copyhold security. Knowing the habits of the poor, who
would suppose that these persons would invest their money
upon any security et all but the security of the government ?
For t 2 years he had laboured for friendly societies,
he had conducted a large one in the county of Kent, and he
mid now that if they were not enabled to have 33 pee cent.,
but were limited to 21, if the bill passed into an act, he would
immediately call • special general meeting of all the mew
ben throughout the country, and he, who had laboured for
thee, would be the very person to say, " Shot up shop ;
this is the time to stop; be would not counsel them to eon-
- " Government had