The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-31 00:00:00

A 1108P1TAL CHRISTMAS TREE.

All through the year the -lady nurses at the University
College Hospital who are connected with the religious
sisterhood of All Saints, Margaret-street, collect and pur-
chase for a Christmas tree for the patients. On Wednes-
day night the tree was exhibited, and the presents
dispensed. It was a busy, striking scene. The nun-like
robes and spotless white headdresses of the lady-sisters ;
the neat cleanliness and briskly cheerful faces "of the
young nurses and attendants ; the pleased excitement
of the children ; the ready sympathy of the
visitors, were all very marked. The room was so
full that it is only after some delay that its distant end
was reached, and that its beds were seen to be occupied.
Fair young girls with a hectic flush, whose hollow cheeks
and bright eyes spoke painfully of the ravages of disease,
held their Christmas gifts on the bed-clothes, and
gave a half-languid but wholly pleased attention
to the sight. Old men and women recovering
from accidents, and who sat with bandaged arms,
or heads carefully propped by pillows ; little
children, whose rosy cheeks and bright laughter
suggested anything rather than illness, and who were, in
fact, rapidly recovering from their attacks ; and women
and men gossiping ple'asantly together, were to be seen in
the ward. It was like a large family party, in which
there was no quarreling, and where all ages are repre-
sented. There had been an evident discrimination in the
selection and bestowal of the gifts. The trees, for there
were really two, were covered with bon-bons, and
had all the fairy-like profusion and prettiness
which are proper to young firs which have been
consecrated to Christmas. The gaily-coloured crackers of
our evening parties, the small wax candles which give
such delight to the juvenile owners or lessees of dolls'-
houses, the small fancy articles which were snore
decorative than useful, all wave from their branches, and
give the proper semi-theatric, semi-bazaar aspect to
the room. But running between the two trees was a
counter laden with more substantial goods. Beside the
veritable baby house lay heaps of warm woollens and
stout garments for under and over wear. Appropriate-
ness seemed to be the first thing thought of in the division
of these and the other articles. A comforting flannel
waistcoat, a warm shawl, a handsome photograph-book, a
box of bon-bons, a handsomely bound volume, a packet of
tobacco, a night-gown, a chemise, some stockings,
were fair types of the presents duly labelled with
their owners' names, and given out or carried away.
There was a signal absence of formality in the whole of
the proceedings. The visitors of both sexes, and of all
ages—for many children were brought to see the great
Christmas trees—strolled round the room or edged their
way through its crowds, The sisters chatted with all
comers Mug hostesses bent on malting the evening go well ;
awl locomotion was as dttlleult as at a fashionably attended
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MP. HARCOURT, M.COMP., ONMONS TIIE NEW
HOUSE OF

At the annual dinner of the Loyal VireTlington Lodge of
Odd Fellows (Manchester Unity), which took place in the
Town Hall, Oxford. Mr. Vernon Harcourt, M.P., in the
course of a long speech expressed his view upon the new
House of Commons, in the following terms :—" There is
nothing which I should view with greater regret than

the exclusion from the House of men of ability

and integrity of the opposite party. I have
seen with regret the gratification expressed at
the exclusion of what is termed ' Young Oxford,' with
the implied gratification at the success of mediocrity ; I
have seen with still more regret satisfaction at the exclu-
sion of representatives of the working classes, all of which
ahem, I think, that the spirit of party has overpowered
the sentiment of patriotism, and what is due to the
free Parliament of a free people. I think that all
opinions should be represented in the House of Commons,
and that they should be represented by the best men
of each class that you can find. The House, I have
noticed, assembles in a building which, with the spirit
characterising many parts of o it cherished "Constitution,"
won't hold above two-thirds of the members who ought to
be there. It is not only difficult for outsiders to get what
is called a seat in the House,' but when that is done the
difficulty is greater to be seated. Like a great many
other British institutions, the House requires expan-
sion, and I am glad to say that before long the
building will be enlarged. There was considerable good-
natured quizzing of myself and such other new members
as gave notices of motion, and the Times called us "the
early birds.' It is a comfort to know that the early bird
is generally supposed to meet with its due reward. The
subject to which I ventured to call the attention of the
House of Commons is one which I am sure must have
presented itself recently to the attention of this con-
stituency—the question of the registration of voters.
I am sure no one can have seen the working
of the existing system of the registration of voters
without being satisfied that it requires great
and searching reform. This is a question in which both
parties are equally interested ; for whatever may be. our
opinions as to the proper bases of the suffrage, no one will
deny that you ought to give every possible facility to
persons who are entitled to it obtaining and exercising it
in the cheapest, freest, and most valuable manner. That
the present system was entirely inadequate to its ends
no one could for a moment doubt. A great many are
on the register who ought not to be there at all. Then
there are a great number kept off the register who ought
to be on—kept off in a most vexatious way, and by pro-
cesses very easy, and it seems to me highly desirable
to amend. This seems to me to be ono of the first,
simplest, and most obvious of reforms. I have
seen in some of the newspapers analyses of the present
House of Commons— not altogether flattering to the
individuals who compose it. I was reading one to-day,
which statedthat the average age of the members was 55.
Of course that places those who are not so old in the
proud position of being in that small minority which
tends somewhat to reduce the average. A great many
calculations have been made of ages, professions, and so
on. I think you can judge a member of the House of
Commons only as you judge of a horse—by his public
running.' In spite of all the criticisms on the present
House of Commons, I believe there never was one of
which the country formed greater and jester expecta-
tions. It has to conduct it a Minister who I believe is
one of the greatest and most honest public men who hat
ever conducted the affairs of this empire. Mr.
Gladstone has been able to gather round him
certainly one of the strongest Governments in point of
ability, experience, and integrity, which has ever adminis-
tered the affairs of England. He has got together a
majority unexampled in its strength, and unequalled in
fid,...dity towards its chief. I believe Mr. Gladstone may
say of 11;s party as Wellington said of his Peninsular
army—that it would go anywhere and do anything. At
the back of all that, there is the confidence of the
nation, and if the Government, under such circumstances,-
with a Parliament so willing to support them, are not
able to accomplish for the country reforms and benefits
such as no Government has ever yet conferred upon the
English nation, then indeed it may be saki that constitu-
tional government has been upon its trial, and has not yet
answered the expectations of the people ; in point
of fact, that it has failed. If I thought such a thing
possible, I confess I should despair of the destinies of this
country. On the contrary, I have such profound faith in
the ability and integrity of the Government, and the
fidelity and loyalty of the House of Commons, that I
believe neither will disappoint the just expectations of the
people, who arc looking to them to accomplish that which
they have pledged themselves to do."