Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-05-03
THE REFORM BILL.
The Crowd Around the House of Com
mons on the I2th OF April.


-
was "nob" that would have hissed NJ
Rober. Lowe from Westminster to Cain
but it was also q "mob" that disdained
waste its powers of sibillation- Consi
ering that the occasion was historical, OF
would have liked little more color; b
the bright morning had faded into du
afternoon, and there was a cold, leader
clay aspect about the sky. For long tin
the only thing that seemed alive was Il
clock. At three there was no crow
whatever; at half-past three the peop
had begun to arrive; at four there was
',mass meeting" All along the line {
vision somber black hats, somber blac
coats, blended gloomily with the dull al
mOsphere. Considering that the Englis
are not demonstrative people-consid
ering, also, that they are good deal IL
fuenced by the westher-it was really re
freshing to listen to good, sound, homes
hearty cheer. There was plenty of laten
enthusiasm in Palace-yard; what wa
needed was the spark that should kindl
it. Various Liberal members, more o
less distinguished, had received the fain
tribute of a somewhat confused welcome
part of which was caused by mistaken
identity, ana part by the desperate anx
iety to cheer somebody, before the frs
genuine burst of cheering arose.
Carriage after carriage arrived, and tht
British public, which loves a good horst
and knows a good turnout" and is not
contemporary Indifferent to armorial
bearings, buzzed murmur of approba-
ton when a large landed pRtrician-ob-
viously against the bill drove up de-
family, alighted with studious negligence,
and walked into the House with that ef-
fort at inconsistencies which is always so
painfully self-conscious. Meanwhile the
police were doing their duty. Those good
and gifted men have rather a habit of
rushing upon unotfending spectators in
the periodical intervals when an inspec-
tor passes; but, on the whole, they were
genially affable, and, if one might hazard
a guess upon subject so sacred-rather
in favor of the bill than not To all in
quiries for Mr.. John Bright, however
and there were good many inquiries
they replied, "Gone in, Sir" The infor-
nation was presumably correct; but as
the same assertion was freely hazarded
with regard to Mr.. Gladstone and Lord
Derby-both of whom had obviously not
arrived-the statement was received with
certain amount of incredulity.
Faster and faster the carriages rolled
in, and the Legislative wisdom" Of the
land, a considerable portion of which ap-
peared to have not exactly made up its
mind with the Hanson cabman before
starting as to the precise amount Of the
fare, dribbled in without notice to the
House. And while cabs and carriages
were disehaging their freight of legisla-
tive wisdom, the crowd began to grow q
little impatient. Steadily the clock had
been singing the only song it knew.
the spectators-growing ac-
customed 10 the sight of real live members
of Parliament-appeared to have come to
the conclusion that they were rather un-
than otherwise. At times
there was a little diversion-Mr Layard,
for instance, receiving a very cordial
cheer. The crowd was not quite sure of
its men. Those in thesecond rank craned
1ver the necks Of those in the first; and
It must be difficult to study physiognomy,
As exhibited in a brougham, under those
peculiar circumstances. Two arrivals,
however, there were which may be worth
You saw a Hanson cab
drive up to the door; next you saw
a large and bulky roll of papers (half
The crowd, by-the-by, seemed to mistake
petitions Tor briefs); next you saw n
Keen, sharp, aquiline, aggressive profile;
next the familiar glance of couple of
ready, inquisitive, almost angry ewes; and
hen, from the cab came Mr.. Roebuck.
d Roebuck," the name was busily and
iwiftly passed about; and its owner really
seemed to linger for minute or two be-
ore he entered the House. Twenty years
lgo that look of his-which was almost
pathetic in its way-would have been an
wered with a cheer; yesterday the people
,nly said Roebuck," and let him go in.
As he went away, folks began to talk of
Tear EN-, and to compare the member
or Sheffield with tho Scotch Terrier party;
lad the comparison occurred to them
title more spontaneously, the tough,
Taliant old Radical would have received
he applause for which he seemed to
lanker. "Some men are born great
ieme achieve greatness-and some have
greatness thrust upon them !" No one
,ould have come down more quietly than
Mr.. Thomas Hughes; but the ignorant,
irunken, impulsive and venal mob caught
light of him and broke out into cheering.
There was plaintively comic expression
lbout Tom Browns" face as he gaIlantly
ried not to look as if he knew that he was
popular. 1t Was the sort of
ook one sees in the captain of public
chool eleven, when his men, for whom he
las materially helped to win the match,
insist upon carrying him on their should
,rs.
Four clock had struck, and the crowd,
making up its mind that Bright had gone
n earlier, was only held together by the
chance of seeing Gladstone. 1t had not
been an Indifferent crowd-rather a crowd
1eenly inquisitive, honestly in earnest.
Its cheers, originated by a few men here
and there, had been far more hearty than
in England expressions of opinion are
wont to be- But hitherto there had been
nothing which could honestly be called
In fact, the people were
waiting for that one leader in whose splen-
lid brain and whose generous heart they
put their whole faith. At last there came
4 swaying about of the crowds cheer
went ringing and rolling along the line
the police tried to keep men back, and
men wouldn't have it-a sort of electric
telegraphy seemed to dash and sparkle
from face TO face, and those behind cried,
EWho is it p And those in front were
too busily cheering to answer the inquiry.
It was wonderful-the change from the
calm, Indifferent jesting manner of the
crowd, to the sudden earnestness with
which the leader of the Liberals was well
coined. Up went the voices, and off went
the hats; and all that an unimpassioned
spectator could see through the tempest of
applause was a grave, gallant face, firmly
set; then light on the face as the great
orator was compelled to raise his hat in
recognition; and by his side lady, gra-
ciously proud of her husbands fsme.
Said one working man to his neighbor,
"Looks pale, don't he ?"
Answered the other, "He'll make the
Tories look deal paler sfore he's done r
NOmen's Rights in Vermont.
The following is an advertisement
which We clip from the Rutland Herald:
" | forbid any one in the State of Ver-