Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-06-22
Letters from England.
No. NNNlIl
The B,1hsh House Of Commons.
IoSnoS Nav od 1854

y
LONDON, May "a, 1883.
To N, Edfo, ofthe Free P,oy:
Provided with an order for the 4" Stran-
gers Gallery" for which we must he indcbt-
ed to the courtesy Of some honorable member,
we are shown by one Of those gentemanly
policemen who do duty in the Palace into
small waiting room, previous to the opening
Of the doors If an important debate is
expected and We are not among the early COM
ers, this room is sure to be full, and we are
sent back to st. Stephens Hall. Here on
stone seat which runs all round the room and
is warmed from within by hot-water pipes,
we are assigned place and told to bide our
time. While VIC are seated here expcctant,
one or two strange things are going on in
other parts of the building At ten minutes
to four the loungers in the lobby hear loud
cry Of "M Mr. Speaker " hats off," and
presently the first commoner of the Realm,
Mr.. Charles Shaw Lefevre, n man of imposing
personal appearance, decked out in black
silk gown and flowing wig, old fashioned
knee-breeches, silk stockings, and silver
buckles, sweeps through the corridor. By
his side march tho chaplain, and the SER
geant-at arms carrying the mace and two
train-bearers bring up the rear. The doors OF
the House are thrown open, and Immediately
shut again as soon as the speaker and train
have entered The members present-who
are generally very few-rise and stand uncov-
cred, and Mr.. Speaker with the Sergeant-at-
arms walk up to the table bowing three times
On their passage. The speaker does not
take - the chair hut sits at the right OF
the table in one OF the clerks seats. The
chaplain then advancing with the usual three
bows, reads form Of prayers. Meanwhile
a messenger has proclaimed up stairs in all
the committee rooms that " Mr.. Speaker is
at prayers" the formula for announcing the
the gathering Of the House. AS soon as
prayers are ended the doors are again opened,
and the speaker proceeds to " make a house.
counting the members present till he comes
to forty-always counting himself the for
tieth-whereupo he takes the chair. If
there be not forty members present by four
o'clock, the house cannot sit that dav.
~ u
is opened, and we take our seats Can this
he the British House of Commons : What
hu5bub a few struggling member, are
lounging on the benches with their hats on,
reading, talking, and paying no more atten-
ton to what is going on between Mr.. Speaker
and that mercurial gentleman who keeps
rushing up so frantically to the table with
his papers than if he were sole legislator for
the British nation. and they had met to talk
over the news. Mr.. Speaker is all the while
muttcring something in an under tone, of
which we can only distinguish every now ard
then - the ayes have it, when We are very
sure that there were no "ayes" to have it,
and that nobody know. what the "aycs"
| have. Some one whispers that that eager
gentleman is Mr.. Brotherton, universal spon-
spl for private bills, aud thnt ho always ha.
his own way with them. This farce is sue
ceeded by another quite as senseless to a
stranger, namely the presentation Of petit
tion. which nobody hears, not even their
titles, although Mr., Speaker still persists in
saying that " the ayes have it." As yet the
/ Treasury Bench is empty none Of the lead
ing men have taken their seats and VIC can
not better employ this tedious interval than
in examining the chamber.
Remembering that the House Of Common,
consists of 6j4 members, you will at once bo
struck with the smalness Of the ROOM
Indeed it is u fact that there is accommoda-
ton on the floor of the House for only about
400 of the G54 Now don't make this a text
for abusing the corrupt system Of represen-
tation' which does not even suppose two
thirds of tho members to be at their posts
because in the first place tho side galerie.
are appropriated to the use Of members
and in the second, 400 out Of C54 would be a
large attendance for any legislative body oil
any working body whatever. In fact,
believe they will tell YOU on the hill or ir
any College, that n whole class Of 80 stu
dents assembled ut once is rather rare
sight. Nor is Mr.. Barry to blame for tht
diminutivc size Of the room, Hc made it
at first, of grand Dimensions, but it wal
found on trial that tho exertion necessary tc
make oneself heard in all parts-especiall,
, in the reporters gallery-was too great, con
sdering the vast amount oftalk which tn
= commons addressed to the said gallery. s.
: the architect w,s Obliged to lower the roof
and diminish the length. and spoil the PRO
! portions Of what he intended should be on
of the grandcst rooms in Europe. IL is no,
oulv 80 feet long, IS wide, and Al from foo
7 to roof. The walls are richly panneled On
a wanscotted with oak, Of which all the wooC
- work consists, so that notwithstanding ever
u inch is elaborately ornamented, tho rool
=, still retains that sober color and business
like simplicity which so we'll sccords wit
!, its purposes. At the northern end is II
} speakers chair, constructed of richly carve
:, oak, cnnoped and pinnacled in the height
n the Ornamcnted gothic style. In front
o the chair stands the table at which sit thr,
y clerks in gowns and wigs On q stand at Il
II opposite side Of the liable is deposited Il
" mace, golden or gilded baton surmount,
l. with a crown, looking quite too heavy ar
III substantial to be called bauble." {
a. each side Of the House are five tier. of bench
divided east and west in the middle by
y passage called the gangway." The su
porters Of the government for the time bei
q occupy the benches on the right, the OPP
sition those on the left of the speaker 7
he lowest bench on tho right, close by t
sc speakers chair, i. occupied by the cabin
=, ministers, and is known as tho " Trea.u
lac bench - These benches are what they n
as called -iuply hcncb,s NOT divided into 40,
rS ,r rate seats, not provided With anything Ii
IN desk for writing on, hut just plain bencl
ot covered with green leather. At the sou
b end is the bar, an " imaginary line" on or
eu nary occasions, hut when a real bar is need,
he '"o ""sS I'Is" are pullcu out from either 81