The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-06

II
an old acnuaintanoe ffAh, my worthy ola
friend, how are you What tne gou.
again % This is enough. Get an olu BenUloiii.an
on the subject of his ailings, and ne Is qulte
safe for a much longer time than tnree minutes
While thew are talking, the doorkeeper rings
the hall and shouts out, ''Who goes home ~
and the old gentleman finds the "House is
nm - and. perhaps, suspects that he has been
Hsold. The cry of the doOrkeeper, ''Who
goes home Y'' and which he always shouts out
when the House rises, is said to mean, "Who
goes home with the Speaker to protect him 2''
and has descended down from those troublous
times when it was not safe for "Mr. Speaker
to go home alone. We have said that the
doorkeeper always utters this cry when the
House adjourns; but one exception to the
rule recurs to us, and probably it may be
considered the only one for ages. During the
session Of 1885, the House had, for the first
time in its history, Deputy Speaker This
was in accordance with a resolution Of
the House, passed about four years previ-
ously; and ON this occasion it was ruled
that, as there was no Speaker to 60 home, the
usual summons should not be made. In
connection with this new arrangement con-
cerning the business of the House may be
mentioned a singular fact. The resolution
was originally proposed by Sir r. H. Inglis,
and is called "Inglis' Resolution, " and it is a
somewhat singular coincidence that it was
acted upon, for the first time, on the day that
the baronet's death was announced in the
Times.
There is another curious ceremony which is
occasionally seen at the House, and, as it once
led to laughable scene, it is worthy of notice.
When her Majesty gives her assent to bills,
either in person or by commission, 'Mr.
Speaker" is summoned to the House of
Peers. The summoning officer is "the
Usher of the Black Rod," who, in full
court-dress, marches in grand state,
with the black. rod on his shoulder,
to the door of the House of Commons. On his
approach the door is locked by the Sergeant-at-
Arms, and to gain admission the usher has to
knock three times, which he does with grave
solemnity. The door is then thrown open;
the doorkeeper walks to the bar and shouts
"Black Rod," and the usher, accompanied
by the sergeant with the mace on his shoul-
der, marches up to the table of the House,
both bowling as they advance. At the table,
the usher holds his rod upright, delivers his
summons, and then, still accompanied by the
Sergeant-at-Arms, backs out of the House,
stopping at every three or four steps to bow.
Having arrived at the door, he turns round,
and, followed by "Mr Speaker" proceeds to
the House of Peers. There ''Mr Speaker
hears the Royal assent given, and then, in
due state, marches back to the House of
Commons. When the Black Rod leaves the
House of Commons, the doorkeeper calls out,
'Make way for Black Rod" and then, on the
approach of the Speaker, "Make way for Mr..
Speaker
On the night alluded to, when ''Black Rod''
arrived, Lord Palmerston was answering Mr..
Dsiraeli and was speaking in more impas-
stoned manner than usual. The House was
crowded in every part. All was silent as the
grave, excepting the noble Lord, who had Just
said, "Is this the party -" when, before
the sentence could be finished, the doorkeeper
started forward and shouted out, "Black
Rod" The noble Lord dropped as if he
had been shot, and laughter long and loud,
now sinking and now rising again in fresh
peal, rang through the House. At first the
noble Lord seemed completely stunned, but
he soon recovered, and joined in the laughter
as heartily as any one, and even 'Mr. Speaker
could hardly draw down his risible muscles to a
due tension, as the Black Rod marched up the
House.
When her Majesty gives her assent in per-
son, her concurrence is previously communi-
Gated to the clerk-assistant, who reads the
titles of the bills, on which the royal assent is
signifed by gentle inclination. If it be a
bill of supply, the clerk pronounces in audible
tone:-"LG reigne remereie SeS bonS SujetS Gccepte
lelr bGn6UOlence, ct anSi le veult' (''The Queen
thanks her good subjects, accepts their benevo-
lence, and answers, BE it so.' ") To other pub
lie bills the form of assent is, ola reigne Le
veuh" (''The Queen wills it so.'') To private
bills, ",Soi tait comme IL est desire (''Be it as
prayed.'') She holds the prerogative of re-
fusing her assent to laws passed by both
Houses, but this right has not been exercised
by any sovereign since the refusal of Queen
Anne to sanction the Scotch Militia bill, in
the year l707.
When her Majesty opens Parliament, she
goes in state to the House of Lords, and takes
her seat upon the throne. The Commons are
then summoned, and such members as please
attend, with "Mr. Speaker at the bar. The
royal speech, prepared beforehand by the
Ministry, is handed to the Queen by the
Lord Chancellor, and read by her; after which,
her Majesty retiring, the business of the session
commences. The Commons return to their
department, and, by way of form, read some
bill to keep up their privilege of not giving
priority to the royal speech Two members
appointed by Government then move and
second 'the address, in either House, thank
ing her Majesty for her gracious speech,
and each appoints delegation to present it,
In former days the debate upon the address
was often very vehemently contested, and
amendments" or alterations, implying a re-
tusal to accept the intended policy of the Min
istry, were frequently proposed; but of late,
although the leaders of the Opposition in each
House usually criticize closely the topics con-
tanned in or omitted from the speech, the adj
dress is generally passed without further oppo-
sition. When Parliament is opened by Com
mission, the royal speech is read by one of the
Commission, and the address passed in like
manner.
There are other ceremonies and customs
which Yniobt ba dasorihad but Iaf tbOsa 90