The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-06
INNER LIFE or THE BRITISH
HOUSE or COMMONS.

It is halfpast three o'clock; and as the
House, when fairly at work, in the middle of
the session, meets precisely at four, il is
necessary, in order to witness the entrance of
''Mr. Speaker" and other formalties which
are a part of the evenings proceedings of this
great national council, that we take our stand
in the outer or strangers " lobby,
where there are already assembled the nume-
rous parliamentary agents, clerks, and other
functionaries interested in the "private busi-
ness" of the House: some to canvass members
for their support of private bills-others to in
fiuence their opposition to such measures.
Precisely at ten minutes of four, voice is
heard from the corridor leading TO the
Speakers room, announcing the approach of
ttMr, Speaker" The inspector of police, who
stands where the corridor enters the lobby
cries out, CHATS of, strangersl" and every man
IS Immediately uncovered. The doors of the
House are then thrown open, and, preceded
bv messenger Of the House in full dress,
with his silver-gilt badge suspended from his
neck, and the Sergeant Arms, in court Co.'S
tune, with the massive mace on his shoulder,
stMr. Speaker" in his robes, and accompanied
by his chaplain, is seen approaching, his sweep
ing train being borne by another messenger
in full court livery. On the Speakers APP
proach to the door, the principal doorkeeper
proceeds to the door and cries out, "Mr.
Speaker" whereupon the members present at
standing uncovered, reverently bow as that
functionary passes
On his entrance into the House, "Mr
Speaker" does not at once take the chair, but
stands at the table while the Chaplain reads
the prayers. When prayers commence, the
doors of the House are closed, and the door
keeper announces that "Mr. Speaker is at
prayers" and at the same time rings bell, or
rather sets going a machine which causes a
simultaneous ringing of bells in all parts of
the House where members are likely to be.
In about seven minutes "prayers are over"
which fact is formally announced by the door
keeper, and the bells are again set in motion.
The doors of the House are then opened, and
as soon as ''Mr Speaker has ascertained that
the requisite ''forty' members are in the
House. he takes the chair. The doorkeeper
then calls out, "Mr. Speaker is in
the chair" and the order of business
for the night begins. 1t sometimes
happens that when the hand of the
clock points to four, there are not forty mem
bers present. In this case the Speaker at
once adiourns the House. This never, how
ever, occurs on Government nights, or when
Government wants ''to make House," for on
these nights the "Whips" always take care to
secure the attendance Of the requisite num-
ber.
The circumstances under which failures "to
make House" occur are generally these:-It
private members take precedence-there is no
thing important on the paper; on the contrary,
there are several notices of motions put
there by members of no standing in the House,
which it is known will lead to nothing but
hours of dreary talk. OF course, as the Gov
ernment is not interested, it's agents will not
SNAKE House;'' and when those who have
not sufficient influence to secure the attendance
OF forty members-and the members generally
are not disposed to waste night watching
proceedings which they care nothing about,
and which they know will be perfectly fruit
less-it often happens that out of the 65S
members, it is impossible to get forty to at
tend. Indeed, sometimes we have known
an active canvass to keep members away;
and it is no uncommon thing to see a
hundred members in the lobby, when it is
found impossible to get thirty in the House.
The failure to make House is often severe
disappointment and modification to those
members who have motions set down,
Fancy man spending weeks in poring over
Blue-Books, extracting their contents, elabo-
rating his speech, and then hurrying down to
the House on the great important day, full of
his subject, he finds the doors shut, and learns
from the solitary policeman who PAGES the
lobby that there is ''no House."
The "count out" is another favorite and
not uncommon mode of getting rid of dreary
speaker and disagreeable subject. 1t gene
rally takes place between the hours OF seven
and eight, and is managed in this wise:-The
time we will suppose is halfpast seven. The
honorable member for - has been up for an
hour, and the wearisome tide of talk shows no
sign of exhaustion. Most of the members
have gone to dinner at their respective clubs,
or at the dining-room of the House; and now
there are not more than forty-fve or fifty
members present. There is general disposi-
ton to get rid of the speaker and his motion.
The Government will be saved the trouble of
reply, which, by-the-way, is sometimes very
convenient. The young members want, per-
haps, to go to the opera-the old members
will be glad of a nights rest, and all see that
holiday may be secured without any injury
to the State.
The first symptom of ga COUNT is the
congregation of dozen or twenty members
in the inner lobby, anxiOusly peering through
the glass doors. Some knowing hand slides
in, and, sliding up to different members in
the House, tells them what is a-foot, and
then glides out again. Presently others are
seen quietly leaving, one by one, without
any apparent concert. Some member then
goes to the back of the Speakers chair and
counts the members present. There are Just
forty, with 'Mr. Speaker" There are too many
for the count to be attempted, as others may
drop in. Another leaves, and then another
and so on, until there are only thirty-two or
thirty-three left. The member behind the
chair then comes forward and calls "Mr.
Speakers" attention to the fact that there are
not forty members present. The orator drops
down in the midst of rs harahgue; the clerk
OF the table turns a three minute sand-glass