The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-04-27


criptionssofstlie scenes in our House of
Representatives, and have described mem.
bcrs as sitting with their legs over their Ia
bles, and ii other elegant positions. The
members of the House of Commons have
tables before them, but they certainly do
lounge upon their benches quite as much.
as have ever seeniour Representatives on
theirs.
When entered the gallery the member
were presenting petitions from their con-
stituents, and the documents were all duly
tabled, or rather, I should say sbagged, for
they were put into large black bag, which
hung on the side Of the clerks desk, and
which, as fast as it became full, was carried
off and replaced by an empty one. Blythe
time this prosy busipessFgaso oyerit wasseet.
ting late, and began Is look about me to 3
sec where the chandele era were with which,
the ball was to be lighted There we're
none in sight, and not even burner, 81 any.
description presentediitsel to assist.2in ssolv.
ing the problem of howthe( house S% was to
be- illuminated, when ssuddeniys saEsAood of
mellow, softened light fell upon the faces of
the members below, .and'looking to the GEL
ing, l saw whence it came. The ceiling is
Of translucent stained glass, and above it
are the lights, and tbesfect Of thir snge.
meut is to light up sufficiently thesewhole
house without any glare "a
When the usual prelim.. ..lary business had
been completed, a member of tile opposi.
tion;asked Lord JohnaRussel for some ad-
ditional information upon the subject of the
annexation of Savoy and Nice to France.
Here, yog know,the Cabinet is sdirectlycon.
fronted with the peoples Representatives,
and sit each evening in the House .oEsGom.
mons ready to answer any question: That
may be put to them: Lord John Russell
rose to reply and the House, which up to
that time had been little noisy, became
hushed and still. Lord John Russell is little
man, with head almost entirely bald, and
a little gray whisker. He was dressed in
suit fblack, displaying no shirt bosom, and
from thsSdistance at which saw him, Z
should say he looked rather 'seedy.' lie
speaks slowly and without any gesticula.
tion. aud no attempt at oratory, but in a
plain straightforward manner, proceeded to,
explain and defend the course which the
sGsabiDet had taken onfthe Savoy question.
lie was listened to with the greatest atten-
tion, the silence only being broken, by an
occasional hear hear from the Administra.
ton side.
When be had finished some member of
the opposition made fewsremarks attack
ing the doctrine of the right of popular
sovereignty and Of the people to decide upon
their sform sef Government, as maintained
by thssEpglish Cabinet in the case Of. Cen
trail Italy, and put the question direct. tos
Lord Palmerston, why the same doctrine is
not good as applied to the Ionian Islands9
This, Of course, drew hear from the op.
position. benches, and Pai1aerston ,rose to
reply. For man over seventy, he is cer-4
tainly finely preserved, and his dress, wbioh
was scrupulously neat, and his general bear
ing involuntarily brought up to my minds
eye Dickens Model Of Department. Lord
Palmerston is porlly and ford, with head
nearly smooth, and gives but little&signs Of
age whenspeaking, except a slight totter
s@s.eE shsking of The legs. Hi. voice is
sfrmsapd plessipg, sndshjs manner much;
more agreeable Thar tistsf Lord Johns.
He commenced ~ putting down with i very
plain. answer the opposition member who
had attempted to badger him about the 10.
nian Islands, BY simply stating that the
parallel did not bold good as:the mensrcbs
Of Central Italy had abandoned their people
'anlleft them without a government, While
England had not yet run Away from The 10.
nian Islands. He espokafor near on hour
elo4dently and to the point, and when be
closed, there was hushed murmur of ap.
plsese. He wss,followed ed the other side
BY D'srasli vhemI fshall lesze fora future.
letter. ~. - o.,
Having head sonsia aesable of English
orsiory, my idibrssionE q that so-fsr as
elegance 81 expss sion, ,ba,ilIiancf and mar:
netio effect arsS Concerned, tie Aeelebratsas a
English .peaks1s:do not equal o,atrs. Their
speeches read better than tbey sound. while