Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-05-02
A SKETCH OF THE ENGLISH PAR.
LAMENT.
The Dining-Room.

The London Court Journsl, in its sketches
Of Parliament, describes the dining-rOOm
''fOr members only" We quote:
Considered apart from the associations
which give it prestige and responsibility,
the members dining-room offers no attrac-
ton to men used to the splendid sccomoda-
ton Of the West-end clubs. Itis low pitch
dit is dsrk-it is so narrow that the
walters almost tumble over each other
when there is full house and rush out
at shout seven P NJ The worst Of it is,
that there is often q lsmentsble want Of
anything estsble at such q crisis, and all
the efforts Of the kitchen committee, con-
tractors, ehef5 de elisi7e, and wsiters fail
then to meet the sudden demands Of two
hundred or three hundred hungry men
used to good living and intolersnt Of bad
cooking, bad provisions, and bad walters.
The factis that, except at an extrsvagsnt
outlay, no arrangements can possibly sec-
ure satisfactory catering under the exist
ing system. Members prefer, as rule, to
dine at their clubs, where everything is Of
the best, and dining is the main institu-
ton. So they hardly ever pAtronize the
house fare unless obliged to do so. Hence
the cook never knows how much to pro-
vide. Sometimes, when ne has laid in
large stock, the debate goes of, and the
members 60 off too, while his fish, flesh,
and fowl are left on hand. At other times
an important question arises all Of sud
den, and the cook, as they say, is "eaten
out Of house and home'-he can't supply
the unforeseen demand.
$50 down the broad fight Of steps
which fronts the members dining room,
and you will come out upon the ground
hoor, opposite what is called the Kitchen
This, however, is traditional name, which
descends to US from the days Of Bellsmyr
when under-done steaks and first rate port
vine nourished a race Of manly legisls-
tors. Passing through little ante room,
where you light upon George and dirty
glasses, you enter long narrow, but not
uncomfortable room, with some dozen or
so Of small tables, where strangers may
sit eat, and be thankful. Like the room
overhead, it is ill-Iighted; but, as a gene
raj rule, all the rooms in the Palace at
separsble from Gothic architecture, as
Lord Pslmerston will tell US.
Everything is stsid and decorous. A
waiter brings you the carte. You have
your choice Of soups, fish, or joints, made
dishes, and pastry. You can fall back on
chops and steaks or cold meat. There is
the usual club regulation by which you
pay so much TO the table, and get there
by frsnked for unlimited bread, potatoes, |
and table-beer, and you get geneeslly by |
no means bad dinner at by no means an
eItravagsnt price. a little door at the |
far end leads to smoking-room, uncsr-
peted, with walls of Dutch tiling and a
floor laid with encsustic tiles-in summer |
time delightful cool retrest and much |
resorted to. Members have q larger smo- |
king room, fitted up in much the same way,
SO that the smoke msyn't find an uneven,
porous surface 10 linger in or cling to /
and here Mr.. Bright delights to hang over
his chibouque or cheroot, and expatiste
the while and knots Of smoking men are
formed whose discussions on the affairs
Of the nation end here, if not elsewhere,
literally in smoke. In the summer you
see them ssunter from the smoking room
IN to the terrace, and there WOO the cool
ing but hitherto not always Odoreus, river
breeze.