The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-10
THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.
Graphic Account by an American specta-
tor-Ancient Cercn,
OF the Lords--Sccnes in the House
OF Commons.
Correspondence OF the New York Tlmes.I

aad at .raction, and to Americans especially thu
scene is an nstru ,tive study, just as tho opening
Of Congress is to forei yners. The forms and Gus
toms OF the two legislative bodies vary no less thai
the appearance of the chambers in which the,
meet Here IN England variety of curious anC
ancient ceremonies have grown up, and no ont
proposes to discard them because they do not giv'
offence or constitute an obstruction to business
while they have q certain character Of their OWL
which lends IN somo indeinable way an air Of gray
antiquity, and the dignity which comes of age, Il
all that takes place. Why it should bo so is diff
cult 10 explain, but assuredly the spectator in the
House Of Lords finds his mind becoming penetra
ted as it were, with the omatic dust OF the past
1t all seems to belong to by-gone period, and VIC
who look on appear to be translated into for
mer state of boing.
was reading tho other day in the collected
works of Mr. Seward an account, in one OF his
letters from England, of his impressions Of The
Lower House. He remIrks: The members,
thought, were in appearance far less dignltiec
and grave assemblage than any Of our American
legislative bodies. :heir dress was less uniform
and exhibited q greater conformity to fashion.
Mr.. Seward evidently prefers to see men dressed
in blaci in the daytime-a fashion never popular
here and without offence to any will express
q hope that it may never become popular What
struck me about tho appearance of members or
Tuesday was their extreme soveliness and want
of style. They were, in short, Communicating
set; but then they really were tho dies Of the
take the trouble to 90 down to tho House merely
to hear the Lord Chancellor read speech.
Let tho reader, then, stand with your cores
pondent, and imagine himself in the House oi
Lords. The day heng little cloudy, the light is
small which comes through the richly-stained
glass windows covered with efIg.es OF the Queens
and Kings of England, and their names and
mottoes, and divers scrolls and legends. The
red benches on ono sido OF the chamber are quite
empty, but On tho other sl'le are q number OF la
dies generally rather old, aad with regret be ii
spoken) not remarkable for beauty. They are
Peeresses and salute each other with short, cold
mods and sometimes speak in that mincing, az
fected stuck-up sort OF tone which the high-bred,
or imitation high-bred, British female thinks it
imposing to use. Affected women there
arc everywhere, but oh, the number and the quail
ty thereof in England! They clip their words in
two, they put on manners OF extreme consequence,
they delight in patronizlng their trienus, and,
upon the whole (for it is impossible to speak quite
coolly on the subiect they are about the greatest
and most nonsensical hulbugs in tho world. And
these grand (but u1prepos 5ln2) females IN the
House Of Lords looked very good examples OF
the class. they had to wait a long time. The
Houses are not pened until O'Clock, ard it is de-
srable to go hour b. foe to secure good places.
I need not remind your ,aders-what they must
have heard many times b,fore--that admission to
either chamber is only to be obtained by order,
and on the opening day go gre t is tno demand
for tickets that 1t is almost impossible tor l
stranger to OBTAIN one. believe, however, that
any American would fad 10 diff ,ulty whatever IN
admittanco if he applied to the Lord
Chancellor or the Speaker There Is the greatest
disposition to awe Americans every facility for at.
tending the Legislature, and il they only went the
right way 10 work-that is, put themselves III COM
munication with the proper authorities-they
could SEQ anything they wished i'll England with
out trouble Il mean the interior OF public instltu-
tions &c.) But too often they stop IN their h.
te.s and set themselves down as outca5ts and ln-
trudcrs, and sey Englis lmen are cold-just as II
they were not cold to each othor as vol. Some
hints for the use OF Americans il Londoa, which
I honestly hope and believe may DO ot service to
thom, intend tc send i'll Il flLure ottor.
Toward Two o'clock a thin and Old, but wthal
erect aud distinguished looking gentleman entered
the House and looked about him. This was the
Earl CT Cardigan, VINO led the Ralaclava charge,
and is now line specimen OF the veteran IN arms.
Tall, OF good figure still, with white hair and
he is OF the most soldlerlv looking
men in tho House. Lord Straiihnairn formerly
Sir Hugh Rose) is Of very similar appearance, bat
he ia considered handsome by tho ladies', and they
say that in india--but no! 1 Will not revive those
stories. Return we instead to the house. Ihcre
presently entered Bishop in full canouicais-he
was new Bishop OF the See OF Rochester. y few
Peers struggled in during the next few minutes,
but thero was no more than seven prosen. at any
time during the ceremony, They kept tneir hats
On, except during the reading OF the speech, ana
a whisper of ''the Chancellor" among the ushers
caused e slight rustic among tho grand ladies',
who omit ed to mention, were dressed abonna-
biz. Then came il m oilcer bearing The mace,
and behind HIN another officer with richly deco
rated bag containing the Great Seal Of England,
and immediately af,erward there entered the Lord
Chancellor: also tall, thin man, with shrewd
and intellectual countonance, clad in scarlet
robe which was covered with gold and erniine
Hc wore q great wig, and walked up the houco
rather quickly to the woolsack. 10 HIM there
came the four Royal CoInmis ssoncr5-namely. the
Duke oS Marlborough, the Dnko Of Buckingham,
the erl OF .Iainceorry and ri Cardigan. They
oil wore long scarlet robes, VITA sorC of cape at
tached, anl cooked hats, which they kept on
daring the ceremony. Ilcy sat III rev, on each
side OF the Lord Chancellor, aud seemed rather nHe
Clio portraits than living men oi our own day. Ihe
Lord Chancellor then told an officer to command
the attend nee OF tie Commons, and tEis cficcr,
with many bows, hastoled TO do his bidding.
There wGs not the ucual rush Of the Commons,
because scarcely couple OF sccro attended.
There is not much room ct the bar FOR them, and
when the crowd IS great no wonder the members
tear IN with their coats halt pulled OF, Gnd III O.
high state Of excitement.
The royal ettors patent, authorizing the com.
NJ sson were the seody clerk at the table, dressed
in the wig snd gown or barrister. AS tho name
OF Commissions was road the CLERK turned and
b Jwed to him, and the Commissioner took Of his
hat in acknowledgement. But for this motion they
were as still IS lay figures, and but little OF their
faces could be seen. They wore all scarlet robes
and cooked late But do not let it be supposed
that they looked ridiculous, Oh tho contrary, they
were stately representatives OF the Crown. The
Chancellor then read the Queens speech in Gear,
distinct voice keeping hls seat all the time. The
SpeaEer OF the House Of Commons stood at the bar
N front OF the melaEors, like schoo!master at the
head OF his school. There woie blind Ir. FaGcett
there the member for Brighton, aud Mr.. Hore-
man, and no ore else whom Knew: Inc Chancel'
lor slightly inclined his head when he bad finished
reading the zpeech, and the Commons Withdrew,
and the seven Peers ara one Bishop matted away
somewhere in the guided dstauce End tae feer-
esscs rose languldy and extended the eZtreme
tips OF their fingers to eacl other, and so were
borne back to Paradise nr some otner superior
world. This was the sn1 fer the time, the debates
not beginning till after O'Clock.
You will see from the papors that the discussions
we're not verv lively. the House OF Commons
The speech which Mr, Gladstone might have de-
lvered was spcit By Mrs. Disroells illness. This
lady is seventyseven years Oh age and consequent
" her critical condition causes no surprise in the
town. Her husbands attachment to Ter is notori-
Gus, and he has often taken pubic opportunities o!
avcwlng it, He lie hiciselt about sixtY-two yeais
old. there i. no doubt that tetween Gladstone
and psraeM there is mortal feud; rot mere
quarrel of public life, but genuine and hearty de.
testat;on OF each othr~, stronger on the side Of
Gladstone than rae ingenious Chancellor o. the
Excaequsr. When man IS wife is il It'll no time
10 kick him, and 90 .Ir. Gladstone declined entar.
ing upcn controversial topics with kindly reHor.
ence 10 the affection of "the leader Of the House.
Otis the first time Dy the pye, Gladstone has condo
scended to give this title to his rlvaD, and an as
surance the general sympathy. Tho memtcra
eheered .oudly, an wn,n Mr.. Gisrael! arose they
cneered agaia which so a%:tatel TUG !eel!nRa q
that unsophis.icated politician that ho could not
epea, distinctly fer somo moments-ho almost
sobbed. Some said ha aas acting; others woGd
have it that it all sincere. As for your cores
condent lie cannot read Asian mysteries unC
therefore knows .othins: IL ali about the matter
Mr. Horsman rose 10 speai, and he h0ng gentle
usn OF no surprising interest, the House quickly
emptied and members wont TO dinner
There was li.tle moro amusement in the House
OF Lords. The Peer who moycd tue address to the
Crown, and to one VINO seconded il, were dressed
in uniforms, and seemed to be very i'll at home il
them. Lord Brownlow the mover (lis first ap-
poarancc, spoke like school-boy who has learnt
part and forgot 1t at the moment OF delivery
Lord HILTON (ormcrly Sir c. Jollitfe, Conserva
tive whip in the Commons b gan lucntly enough
but all at once it seemed as il something inside
him had run down, fol crerytliinS cane tG a sud
den stop, and the noble orator evidently lost his
memory, his tongue aud his presence of mind al
c,I H., -i,,1