Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-01
Parliamentary CeremOnies-The
Inner Life fthe House of Com

Parliamentary CeremOnies-The
Inner Life of the House of Com
mons.
The Ne,o Jersey Magazine, which Is very
sprightly monthly, contains in the number
for August, among other matter. curious
sketcln oftheH sInner1Lif of the British
House of Com noi,s,' from which we ex-
tract some paragraphs: .a3tsESs sgss |
OPENING THE SESSION.
1t is half-psst three O'Clock; and as the
House, when fairly at work, in the middle
of the session, meets precisely at four, it is
of ''Mr. Speaker" and other formalities
which are part of the evenings proceed-
ings Of this great national council, that we
Z take our stand In theouter, or "stranger's'
lobby, where there are already assembled
the numerous parliamentary agents, clerks
and other functionaries interested in the
7.private business" of the House; some to
canvass. members for their support to. pri-
;yate bills-otners to influence their oppo-
1sition to such measures. Ilngqh1 .g.V
-. Precisely at ten minute of four, n voice
Is heard from the corridor leading to the
of HME SPEAKER" The Inspector ofpolice,
who stands where the corridor enters the
lobby, cries cut, sHats off, Strangers and
every man is immediately uncovered. The
doors of the House are then thrown open,
and, preceded by messenger of the House
in, full dress, with his silver gilt badge sus-
pended from his. neck, and the Seageant-at-
Arms, in court costume, with the massive
mace on, his 'shonlder+ 4 MIR Speakefyn in his
robes, and accompanied by his chaplain, is
seen. approaching, his swearing train being
borne by another messenger in full court
livery. On the Speakers approach to the
door, the principal oor-keeper proceeds to
tha- har-aad calls ont 0Mr- Snaakar.0 -
,whereupen the members present at once
fall into their respective places, and stand
! ing ntncovered; reverentlyy bow as that
functionary passes.
esToW no SsnqT PRAyERs.N D 9Ei26G
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 COM
mence the doors of the House are closed,
and sthe dOeEkeeper announces thstT'M
Speaker Isl satprRyers,n = aud at the same time
rings a bell, or rather sets going machine
which causes a simultaneous ringing of
bells in al parts of the House where mem
bers are likely to be. In about seven min
ptes "prayers are OYER" which factis form
bells are again set in motion. The doors of
the House are then opened, and as soon as
.'Mr, Speaker has ascertaiDed. that the re-
qdisite .sfortyn members are in the House,
he takes the chair. The doorkeeper then
ecxfis ont Mr., Speaker is in the chair, ?
and the order of business for the night be-
gins. 1t sometimes happens that when the
hand of the clock points to four there are
not forty members pre- ent. In this case
the Speaker at once adjourns the House.
This never, however, occurs ON govern
ment nights, or when the government
wants ITO make a House, for on these
nights the tswhips" always take care to Sc
cure the attendance of the requisite num-
ber.
SsSEot1 10 QUORUM. 81 o.
The circumstances under which failures
'1to make Housen occur are generally
these: 1t is public night, which means
that motions of private members takes
precedence-rthere is nothing important on
the paper; on the contrary. there are sew
eral notices of motions put there by mem
bers of no standing in the House, which it
is sknown will lead to nothing but hours of
dreary talk. of course, asthe Government
is not interested, its agents will not snake
a house," and when. those who have re-
ceived notices have notSsufficiert influence
to secure the attendance of t1ty members
and the members generally Are not dis
posed to waste a night watching proceed
ings which they care nothing about, and
which they know will be perfectly fruit
fess-it often happens-that out of the six
hundred and fifty y-eight members, it is i'm
.gpossible to get forty to attend. Indeed,
sometimes we have known an active cam
vass to keep members away; and it is no
uncommon thing to see a hundred mem
Fbefs la the lobby, when it is found impps-
asfble to get thirty in the House. The fail
ure to make House is often severe dis
appointment and modification to those
members who have motions set down.
Fancy man spending weeks in poring
over Dfue- books, extracting their contents,
celebrating his speech, and then hurrying g
down to the House on the great important
day, full of his subject, he finds the doors
shut, and learns from the solitary police
man who PAGES the lobby that there is mo
The ''count outs is another favorite and
notrl1ncommen. mode of getting rid of a
dreary speaker, and a disaereeable subject.
1t generally takes place between the hours
of seven and eight, and is managed in this
SWise: The time we viii suppose is half-past
seven, The honorable member tor - has
been up for an hour, and the wearisome
tide shows no signs of exhaustion. Most
dof the members have gone to dinner al
ttheir respective clubs, or at the dining
room of the House; and now there are no!
more than forty five or fifty members pres
ent. There is a general disposition to gel
Grid of the speaker and his motion. The
Government will be saved the trouble OF
reply, which, by the way, is sometimes very
Ssconvenient. The Young members want
: perhaps, to GO to gthe opera-the old mem
bers will be glad of a'night's rest, and all
see that a holiday may be secured without
an injury to the state. .' ~ .,5. iaj57. 1,'iS
4sdIThe first symptoms of 'scount" is the
congregation of dozen or twenty mem.
bers in the inner lobby, anxiously peering
through the glass doors. Some knowin g
hand slides IN and sliding up TO different
amenabers inthe House. tells them what Is
foot, and then glides out again. Presently
Others are seen quietly leaving one by. one
s without any apparent concert. Some mem
Der then goes to the back of the speaker
chair and counts the members present
There are just forty with s.Mr. Speaker
There are too many for the count to be at
e tempted, as others may drop in Auothe
aleaves, and then another, and so on, sunt
there are one thirty-two or thrty-thret
left. The member behind the chair ther
comes forward and calls ssMr. Speakers
attention to the fact that there are no
forty members present. The orator drop
down in the midst of1his harangue: the
clerk of the table turns a three -minut
.sand- glass, the doorkeeper rings his bellan'
when the sand in the glass has run out
HMr. Speaker' proceeds toeount the mem
bers, and then, if forty be not present, h
declares the House adjourned.
""wHo- GOES HoME?n
The cry of the Jdoorkeeper, "Who goe
home ?n which he always shouts out wIel
/; the House rises, is said to mean, "Wh
goes home with the Speaker TO protec
him ?" and has descended down from thos
troublous times when it was not safe 70
'Mr. Speaker" to go home alone:
r1HThere is another curious ceremony whicl
is occasionally seen at the House, and, as
once led to a laughable, scene, it is worth!
: of notice.. When her majesty gives he
assent to bills, either in person or by com
mission, s.iMr. Speaker is summoned to tn
House of Peers. The summoning officer i
the ,Usher of the Black Rod" who, in full
acourt-dress marches in grand state, will
~ II 4. 20 fI,a 1An