The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-06
From the Washington Chronicle1
LETTER FROM COL. JOHN W. FORNEY.
LONDON. Nav Is. 1867

LONDON, May IL, 1857.
Without hating to express the feelings
excited by this great metropolis, and with
out attempting to describe the numerous
| objects of interest that greet the stra niger on
every hand, think the scene last night in
the House of Commons deserves special
letter, even if it must he hasty one, in
order to catch the Scotia at Queenstown,
where, leaving Liverpool to-day, she will
| touch tomorrow, on her return trip to
America. l was fortunate enough to secure
seat in what is called the Speakers gal
lery, and, as got there early, had an OPP
portunity to look around me before the
| opening of the great debate The Houses
of Parliament are inexpressibly imposing
and grand, though located on a site which
has few natural advantages, but the spot is
so rich in precious historical "reminiscences
that the British statesmen could have proba-
bly, deliberated nowhere else with any de-
sire to keep before them the warning of
their own history. Westminster Abbey
which have yet to see and to study-is
Immediately opposite, filled with the memo
ries of the mighty men of England. The
scene of the execution of Charles the First is
in the same direct vicinity, and the approach
to both Houses is through the magnificent
Westminster Hall, in which STAFFORD and
other great English worthless were tried, and
where Warren Hastings was prosecuted and
defended with such matchless elOquenCe.
1t is a sad disappointment, after you have
stood almost awe-struck before these splendid
monuments of history, TO enter into the
meagre room set apart for the House of Com
mons. 1t is not much larger than the main
| hall of medium church in America, say
about the size of that of Dr. Barnes. corner
of Locust street and Seventh, or that of Dr.
Sunderland, in Washington In this narrow
space over six hundred members cannot be
accommodated without the greatest incon-
venience, and last night, though not so many
as four hundred were believed to be present,
the pressure was uncomfortable. The seats
on which they sit rise on both sides from
the floor, after the manner of our old-fash-
toned Westinghouse, with the Speakers
chair under a wooden canopy at one end,
and the main entrance at the other The
Speaker, Hon. John Evelyn Denison, wore
huge wig, which concealed his features, and
his voice was so low that when he stated a
question wondered who heard him. Before
him were two persons, also in wigs, who
seemed to be taking notes, probably the as
sistant secretaries. Below them was low
writing table, about the size of the tables
seen in the private office of q banker or
merchant. On the right of the Speaker sat
the Ministry, headed by Mr. Disraeli, and
on the lett the opposition leaders, headed by
MIR. Gladstone. Mr. Dsraeli has very
distinguished face, but looked careworn
He has the bearing and the figure of Senator
Freiinghuysen of New Jersey, and Mr.. Glad
stone is not unlike Mr.. Sumner, of Massa-
chusetts, though not so large a man. The
members came in slowly till the benches
were filled, in many cases crowded. They
had no place to put their hats, so they gen.
orally kept them on, after having saluted
the Speaker on entering. In this curious
way they do business. If they write, it must
be ON their hats, or by holding their note
books before them; if they speak, it must
be In the midst of the feet of their neigh
bors The seats Of the two divisions arc so
near to each other that whisper can be
heard by those farthest off A strip of car
pet, not more than six yards wide, separates
the antagonists AS care has been taken to
keep out the people by limiting the accom-
modations in the building to one hundred
and fifty, there is no necessity for loud talk
ing in the Chamber itself, and of course, no
chance of aratory, and much less for decla-
nation. Hence the habit of colloquial dis
cussions- hence toe " trick" of sneering at
what is called eloquence. Mr.. Disraeli's
manner and voice were very much like the
voice and manner of a gentleman standing
before his Office fire with his hands behind
his back talking business to a client or
friend. and Mr. Gladstone was equally I'M
constrained. Both these men talked like
scholars and thinkers, and it not diff
cult to note that their model, if they had
any, was that of all their associates But I
did not sit down to draw pen portraits, but
simply to call attention to the fact that the
debate, which lasted from 7.30 P. NJ. till 1
A. NJ, presaged signal Liberal triumph,
or else a signal Tory defeat. I will not con-
fuse you by entering into details. Suffice it
to say that, if the indications of last evening
are not wholly failacious, and the expecta-
tions and predictions of friends and foes
wholly disappointed, the right to vote, here
totore confined to comparative few, will
be extended to many thousands. The ballot
is now enjoyed by about one in seven in this
country should the proposition that prom
Uses to prevail, from last nights signs, be-
come the law, the ballot will be enjoyed by
one out of three or four. This is an i'm
mense advance, and the bare statement of it
proves more than a volume of argument.
The morning papers all regard it as a settle
ment of what threatened to become dan
eerous agitation. The plan of agreement