The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-06-02
PARLIAMENTARY ORATORS.


lhe Liverpool Correspondent OF the New York Star
mas IN recent etter given sketch Of the style and
talent oil distinguished orators in Parliament WHICH as
leading matter amorg the nquistiye is not without IN
terest. - -
Lord John Russell, he says, is yerv ;oa;aa,s,t
speaker la fact, he cannot make a speech without
siammering and suffering or all the speakers Win,
lie Harvey is the most fluent. Sir John @. Hobhouse
SByron's early friend) speaks wen but seldom Poulett
Thompson drones out his words with nasal twang
which Is unpleasant Burdeu is still fine speaker but
rarely opes his mouth now; besides his articulation
owing TO the loss OF his front teeth perfect as
u was Peel speaks with much readiness but seldom
Ises beyond dead level he is almost passionless in
MS language aud delivery. II is the specous manner
o. MS speaking which has gained him the name of "Sr
Robert Plausible" Lord SANKEY'S words gush out
aid over, like cataract He speaks with considerable
iaPuiy great spirit, and his manner becomes very
much excited. lie Is best in reply. Hume is very
pau sPeaker-but much better than he was. He sell
ao finishes sentence so that the reporters who make
nm speak English are much his creditors O'ConnelI
speaks very hueny-his accent is thoroughly Irsh and
his mode OF delivery warm and earnest Shel, his
great little rival may be called the most finished orator
we now nave lie uses the very poetry Of prose His
accent IS Irish, and he has percngly shrl voice His
dminutve size is against him. but ali is forgotten when
he warns into subject.
Sir James Graham usually speaks well-but His
speeches if you hear them, appear different from what
they seem III print. Graham is a seventeen stone man
IN treble His voice is gentle and ady-like and his
hair that of petit maitre.
Lord PalmeSton speaks very well, but appears TO
have an anlipathy 10 airing his vocabulary" He
seems never TO rise unless called upon to reply
Young D'lsraeli has made only one attempt In the
House, and was then coughed down, but the stuff Is
=, ~ him b and should not wonder II he
Oh inc pest orators Bulwer the novelist is an ele-
CANT speaker, but his manner seems affected and his
speeches (like Shiels) smell ofthe lamp. Sir VIM
MoieSMor,h, Leader and Grote make readable ora
uons ou, sney are Efforts Of memory. On late oc-
casion, Wordsworth gave copy of his speech to the
editor OF The SUM- to be printed in the second edition
winch usually contains that nights parliamentary
news up TO The post hour Sir William had not the
opportunity OF commencing his Grafton until after
The post hour, but the Sun sent off containing the
whole Of his speech (actualy not commenced when
the Sun left London) and plentilully interspersed
with hear hear" " loud applause" and SO forth.
Sir George Sinclair is an even speaker, seldom
briiant-always ready and sensible. Sir George
Grey, who has recently come out on the Canada
question, is remarkably tame speaker. Mr.. Spring
Rice, Chancellor Of the Exchequer does not often
address the House. He can speak ad libitum, as to
time, but no one thinks any thing Of his oratory-
either its manner or matter. MIR. Abercrombie the
Speaker, is wreiched bungler. His voice is bad,
and ne huns and haws, at loss for words. The
Attorney General, Campbell, is ready speaker his
profession gives him readiness. But lawyers have
seldom succeeded in parliament. They carry there
the manner and the method Of the advocate Jeffrey
made dead failure He only made one speech in
the Commons and that fell upon his hearers like a
wet blanket.
Wakey the surgeon editor of the Lancet, is an ad-
mirable orator. But he cannot get on, ] to
becoming connected with any administration. There
is slur upon his character His soubriquet is The
Fire King" This is because, many years since when
ne kept small drug store it burnt down. and the
insurance office charged him with having burned down
that he might get the money for which he insured
He was tried at the Old Bailey, this criminal charge,
and had the good luck to be acquitted At that time
aFa
Of thousands-was capital offence So had he been
convicted he would have been hanged. Il may be
welto add that he never attempted to the insu
rance money. @a.~s .- .5'. u
Whitle Harvey is another man who has no chance.
with all his eloquence and talent of getting into office,
He has been long under cloud-owing 10 some prop
erty suand the Benches Of OF the Inns OF Court
refused therefor to admit him barrlster. He is
generally thought to be i'll used man--but still this
equroca position efectually shut him out of all hope.
Sergeant Wilde (who is nearly as eloquent speaker
as Sergeant Taourd, the author Of "Ion, is one Of
the best lawyers we have,-admitted to be such-hods
more briefs than any man, and he also is on the black
list Many years since he gave one Griffith jenkins
which she claimed. When the money was paid, he
readily made good the claim 1t was thought he had
ockeyed his client of the property and the result u.s. that
though his standing at the bar, high legal attalnmens
and liberal opinions have long marked him out wor-
thy to be made Attorney General and Solicitor General
have not dared to run counter to public opinion. He
would make FIRST rate Judge, but he cannot be so
made n ...
People from whom much is expected-as in the
case OF Jeffrey and Sir Daniel Sanford the famous
Greek Scholar,-very commonly fail In the House
OF Commons. Goblet and Hunt both failed To
be sure, OConnel and Shiel succeeded. But per
contra, the Irish Orators Flood and Grattan did not
succeed .....
In the II. of Lords there are very few good speak
ers vi course, Lord Brougham is entitled TO the pas.
| need not describe the character of his elouuence
II is like the man, quite sui generis Lord Melbourn
Is by no means either ready or clear speaker
Lord Glenelg is fine orator. but lazy and careless.
Earl Grey was very eloquent man, but seems
TO have quite given over politics. Lord Holland,
like Charles James Fox (his uncle) speaks forcibly,
but in IfnsqMe way, and with slight impeachment.
The Earl Of Mugrave, Ficsroy Of Ireland, isa good
speaker. Among the lawn sleeves the best debaters
are the Bishops of London and Exeter The latter
does not often speak, but when he does it is with
force and dignity. DR.. Phipott, Bishop Of Exeter,
is very often before the public He is violent and
parizan, but very much in earnest
The Duke of Sussex speaks pretty well for a
Prince. His speeches are carefully written for him
by his Surgeon and Secretary Mr.. Petligrew. The
Duke has thin, sharp voice, and his delivery is
very pompous.
The Duke OF Wellington is one of the most prac-
teal speakers in the House. He has considerable
knowledge OF most subjects which are legiSlaed up
on, and he blnrs out his ideas, without waste of
words, in straight forward manner. He has
loud voice, and his enuncialion is rather defective
as he lost some of his front teeth.
The Earl of Durham speaks rarely, now-he is
about one of The best speakers we have. He Is a
remarkably naughty man.
From The Philadelphia Ledger, of May 30.
THE OLDEST GoNE.-Mr. WILLIAM BUTLER, the
oldest inhabitant of Philadelphia" closed his mortal
nm Sutn rIayl Last af "a uenfln