Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-09-13
British House of Commons.

The last ,1mberofthe London Quarter y contain
spirited sketch of the'House OF Commons, whcl
seems to be essentially dull and lnsIpld place
nothing at all like oar own Congress in scenes 0
excitement and interest. The most distinguish
ed and influential of the English statesmen appea
to be dull and prOsy speakers:
''Of Parliamentary eloqnence," says the write
in the Quarterly, 1--we rather decline TO speak
When there were such things as grand speeche:
we are willing to believe they were very grant
they had seldom reporters with short hand pens
and most of them died. Assuredly the art is ex
tinct, and there are no great speeches now. There
are long speeches, aud sarcastic speeches, ant
crack speeches, but they are not suc! speeches az
fell from the lips of Burke. Pitt, and Fox. Oh
more recently still, from Canning and Broug ham
ave have frequently heard 1t asked whether
there was much wit in the House, and have nev
er known any voriation in the reply. Very sell
dom, indeed, is a good thing said within these
walls. Yet the House of Commons is an indnl
gent audience, where it likes the speaker; but Il
is here as elsewhere, the most senlle anecdole
execrabIy told, will be endured from tavorte
while an unknown man will receive gr0an In re
turn for an epigram."
Of the most noticeable and prominent members o.
the House. We give few Of the most interest
ag sketches:
LORD PALMERsrON-Lor Palmerston does
not affect eloquence, but usually speaks In frank
English manner, the franker that he frequently
hesitates over word. making no secret OF the fac
that he wishes to select the best. His action ]:
energetic even in giving brief explanation Hl'
long experience of business and of the House, com
bned with his own keen insight into character
tell him at glance what manner Of man his an
tagonist is, and in what way it would be accepta
BILE to the House to have him treated. Though
he Is personally fearless and never hesitates tt
close when the fight demands a grapple, it is ev
IDENTIFY pleasanter TO Lord Palmerston merely Il
exchange few knightly blows with worthy as
sailant and then to charge upon the field, after the
manner Of one of the Froissart heroes, so much ad
mired by John Graham of Claverhouse.
NR. DIsRAELI.-Of Mr.. Disrael's mastery
passionless. finished delivery. we have already
spoken. Like the warrior 10 whom Norma chant:
her witch-song, seldom O.
Giles he still, through sloth or fear,
When point and edge are glittering near"
An ever ready speaker, his premeditated ora
tions, that is to say those over which he has had
some time-no matter how short-to ponder, are
nevertheless infinitely better than those prompted
by the exigency of the moment. lie will some
times from this cause reply better to the earlier
part of an antagonists argument than 10 It's close
and his own peroration is seldom so effective as
what, in dramatic language, may be called the crl-
sis of his speech. Unprepared, ne has tendency
to verbage, and to a repetition OF the same idea,
without a sufficient variety of treatment; prepar-
ed, aud not blow misses; not platItude lrrl-
tates not sarcasm is impeded by weakening
phrase. The arrow, stripped Of all plumage ex.
cent that which aids and steades its flight, strikes
within hairs breadth of the archers aim wheth-
or il finds the Joint of the harness, or shivers on
the shield, is occasionally matter of opinion, but
that it often wounds deeply would seem to be
proved by the exceeding ferocity with which, out
of the House, Mr.. Dsraeli is assailed. In the
House it is rare for any one but Mr.. Gladstone to
meddle with him.
MIR. GLADsToYE-M Gladstone is the most
polished speaker in the House of Commons. His
verbal resources are as remarkable as his manage
ment of them; and his manner is invariably that
of gentleman. He is charged with "subtlety''
by coarser minds, but we fancy that the English
intellect. which is not distinguished for analytica
power. treats LIle SuUJcCI III d
fashion. Mr.. Gladstone inclnes to the Tractari
an party-Tractarians are no better than Jesuits
-jesuts are proverbaly subile-and, therefore.
when Mr. Gladstone is defining, very elaborately
the difference between long annuites and short
annuities, he is talking Jesuitically. We believe
that Mr.. Gladstone would be more popular ora
tor if he would be less explicit but, while he ex.
hausts the subject, he sometimes exhausts the lis
tener. His refined and scholarly periods, the Gre
alton of the moment. but as elegantly balanced and
as keeuly pointed as if they had been written and
studied, are always marves of fuency, and often
specimens Of eloquence.
The Reviewer" closes the article BY remark
ing that,
There are some earnest men, chiefly young
who are "coming ups" and will, we trust, do good
service; for they speak as single-minded English
gentlemen. who eschew quackery and can't
Lord Stanley. on one side. and Mr.. Layard, "the
member for Nineveh," on the other, are excellent
types of a class to which we look with hopeful.
ness, for the world is very weary of Red Tape and
of Cotton Twist.