The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-03-31
b. IL. r.
The Freedom OF Speech In Parliament
Scenes In tho American Congress.

FROM the London Times, March =
There was committee appointed some time ago
to consider the forms of proceeding in Parliament
The prolixity Of speeches, and the multitude Of
speakers who came forward to reiterate the same
be devised? Many leading members of our own
House OF Commons were examined before the COM
mittce. There were also some very distinguished
gentlemen from the French Chamber of Deputies
and the House Of Congress in the United States,
who favored the committee with the results Of
their experience in their respective countries
When the report was taken into consideration, the
general impression was. that in certain points the
English form Of proceeding might be amended,
but that, the whole, our own system
reconcile the utmost possible latitude of expression
with the utmost possible brevity ofspeech. There is.
worked tolsrably well. 1t is no easy task to
however, one particular on which we may fairly
challenge comparison with any deliberatye assem-
bly, which has ever figured in the pages of history
II is seldom indeed that any member of the English
House of Commons is found wanting in considera-
t1on OF demeanor or courtesy OF expression to his
fellow senators. Now. when it is considered that
six hundred and fifty men. representing the
opposite shades of character. educ ation social posi-
tion. political opinion. and religious belief,
lectsd from the great mass of the community. and
draughted off under roof for the express purpose
OF discussion and contradiction, is almost miracu
lous that so little mutual discourtesy should be the
consequence. Enormous pecuniary interests. the
cherished preudices Of aristocratic CASTE and the
premature aspirations of democracy, long cherished
party feelings, and eager desires for office, at
work ON the ministerial and opposition benches
and yet how seldom il is that u breach of good
breeding occurs If any such there be, it may
safely be referred to one Of half-a-dozen members
who are marked men for infrmity of temper
and indiseretion of conduct. The sonorous call to
order from the Speakers chair, and the universal
cutlery Of the House, quickly recall the peccant
orator TO greater moderation. Quiet is restored
and business resumed with infinite quckness. and
the unseemly but momentary outrage docorum
is forgotten. We surely may be permitted, without
rendering IN Of
overweenng national PRIDE to contrast the practice
OF our own House OF Commons in this respect with
that OF other legislative assemblies. We shall not
lose by the comparison, as will abundantly appear
from Il report Q! some recent proceedings i'll Con-
gress.
1t would appear that two members, Me.srs.
Stanly and Gddings, had fallen out upon the old
bone Of contention. The slave holding and free
soil States met in opposition in the persons of the
two combatants Mr.. Stanly, the Carolina man.
certainly had much the advantage, in volubiity of
speech and determination of purpose, over the
reprcsentive Of Ohio. The hon. member for Ohio,
Mr. Gddings, called the hon. member for Carolina,
Dir. Stanly, "liar; 3" whereupon the hon. mem
Der for Carolina pronounced the hon. member
for Ohio to be :" sneak" Mr.. Giddngs
entered parliamentary protest against dough
faces. prompting the gentleman from South
Carolina" Mr.. Stsnly retorted by saying that it
was the province OF scavenger to NEEDLE With Mr..
Glddings;, he intimaied, moreover, that he should
be compelled to wash his hands very carefully after
pulling Mr.. Giddngss nose. Giddngs toqmtw,
. The gentleman shant crack the overseers lash to
put me down" Stanly. in reply, " hope that
gentleman won't gnash his teeth SO hard-he might
hurt himself
If that member was in the southern country nobody
would own him as black man with = white skin
but he would be suffered to wild as free negro.
and in the course Of three weeks he would be brought
up TO the whipping post and sshed. for stealing.
sanderng bis neg bbor' At this point the Speaker,
the Manners Sutton OF Shaw Lefevrs Of the procee-
ding. thought proper to interposs, with request
that the gentlemen would suspend for moment.
The opportunity for pun was too strong for Mr..
Stanlys parliamentary allegiance. The honorable
member, pointing to Mr.. Giddings, roared out amid
the general laughter Of the House, 'We ought to
pend that fellow by the neck" From this point Mr..
Giddngss case might be pronounced hopeless. He
made indeed feeble effort to regain the moral
dancy by declaring that the honorable member for
Carolina reminded him "ofthe boy who turned round
so last that the hind part Of his breeches both
sides AZ once : but II wouldn't do. The efeter joke
dled IN the uterance, and only served to increase
the flow of Mr. Stanys rhetorical vein. '.The
honorable member" said that gentleman, talks
about my associates, but has anybody ever seen him
N private decent company Free negroes may gall
to see him. He SAYS we were here drink
mggIog during Christmas time. Where was be
IN Philadelphia, drinking beer and eating oysters
with Tree negroes winch was the best Off Judge.
ye' il would. Of course. be quite superguous Tor
" here to reprint al length the face vituperation
Of the honorable member for Carolina. but the pero-
ration u too vigorous Justify It's omission. Thus
did Mr Stsnly conclude -" quit this subject
disgust ] fud have been IN dissecting-rooin
cutting up dead dog. ! viii treat him an insane
man, who was never taught the decencies Of life or
prophecies OF conduct. whose associations show that
IT, never mingled with gentlemen. Let him rave on
W Doomsday" So the dispute was brought 10
close; but in eyes perhaps the most remarkable
feature ~ the report Is, that IL i interpreted with
laienthetcal notices that all this buIoonery and
ihveetile nas received bv the speaker in silence
by me House with shouts 81 laughter and roisy
applause.
singular Literary Forgeries ~ England.
from the London hthenaum. MsrchG