Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-07-01


Of member, was well seated in the Strangers
Gallery. The hall is parallelogram, with
the speakers chair in one end, and clerk g
table in front. On either side of the hall
rise six rows of benches, leather cushioned,
running the whole length of the room The
members occupy these benches the govern
ment occupy one side and the opposition the
other The ministry occupy the first bench
at the right hand of the speaker, near the
clerks table. The leader of the opposition
Gladstone, sits directly opposite Disraeli.
The gallery on the end opposite the speaker
is devoted to strangers. Over and back OF
the speakers chair, behind grating of iron,
the ladies who desire to hear the debates can
listen without being seen. The members OF
the house generally hang their hats on their
heads, and take the most comfortable posi-
tons possible to their uncomfortable seats.
The debates are chiefly conversational, though
sometimes varied byla splendid speech. He
must. however, be brave man who dares to
to saywhich strikes a sympathetic string, he
is sure to be cried down. No one can with
stand The clack of the House | was not a
little pleased with this summary disposal OF
two sIeakers, and wished that in our legis-
latures and Congress we had as speedy and
ehectual way of silencing our buncombe
orators No man has right to the time and
patience of an audience. If he has nothing
to say, he ought to be shut up. Our courtesy
to poor speakers is never seen here.
The Irish question is the question just now
that agitates England. 1t is the wedge that
is to divide Church and State in this whole
realm both parties look for the ultimate
and speedy dissolution of Church and State
connection, the disendowment, and the discs
adjustment of the Church. TO us, who
have never had such espousal of the spirit
ual and secular powers, who have had always
Church without a king. this seems no evil
thing But to Englishmcn, the separation
looks like the end of the world, the herald of
the dissolving of the elements, and precursor
Of the last woes. But they will suffer it,
and be the stronger for it. The union of
Church and State is always detrimental TO
the former, and never beneficial to the latter.
England has found it so, and is making up
her mind, with many fears at the change, to
make and to meet it. The Free Church As
sembly of Scotland meets here tomorrow
to consider it. hope to be present at their
discussions
| The few days have been in Scotland have
/ l., :
things that one must see before he can
know them. You can hardly imagine a moor
and its deep shadows Of heather blooming
with purple flowers. Ben Ledi and Ben Lo-
mond, Lochs Katrin and Lomond are not so
different from other mountains and lakes as
one might suppose, but their charm consists
Of the drapery of romance and history which
/ Is woven around them. Over these lakes the
old elan men of Scotland were wont to pull
their way to the lowlands, when they mus
tered their forces to the sound of the swelling
pibroch. Here is the cottage where Helen
McGregor was born. over these hills and
through the glens, Rob Roy and Roderick
Dhu chased the deer and led their clans.
Here Wallace and Bruce fought with the
English, and every field is red with the blood
every hill is a monument of some wild deed
Of daring. The Loeb Katrin, Ellen's isle,
commands the second and third gaze, not for
its picturesque beauty, bet for its being the
se-ne here she met the - Knight of Snow
den, and cOnsccratcd 1t by their mutual
vows. The ruins of old castles are all hal
lowed by some tale of love, OF bravery, or
suffering, or cruelty. Holyrood remains as
Mary left it, and the fragrance of her beauty
and her woe fingers about it still Lnlith-
cow Castle sleeps in the meadow by the
Forth, yet not one Of its storms but has
voice to tell that this was the birthplace
of the unhappy queen who last wore the
crown of Scotland. Edinburgh Castle has
splendid history but the event which most
celebrates it is the birth of James VI. son of
Mary, in whom the long contending king.
dOms were first united. And. as have been
from lake to lake, and from mountain to
mountain, and over the plains, and among
the glens of Scotland, find the charm not in
what rs, but what has been. The pibroch
that | heard yesterday, waking the echoes of
Ben Led, near Loeb ARRAY, brought back
the days of the Nich Alpine and McDiarmcd
And more interesting than the town. or cas-
tie or church of Sterling, was the cemetery
where are the monuments of the Reformers
and Covenanters, and where fine group of
statuary commentaries the martyr death of
Margaret Wilson, by the Solway tides, mon
ument at once of the infamy of Clcaverhouse
and the triumph of Christian faith
Edinburgh is one of the finest cities of
Europe. Prinlit Street, overlooked at one
end by Edinburgh Castle and at the other by
Cation Hill, and adorned at its central point
by the monument to Walter Scott, is one of
the handsomest in the world There is not
a street nor close in the old city that has
not been immortalized by Scott His hand
has connected all the incidents of Scottish
history with their places, and woven around
them the rich coloring of imagination 1t
is in this blending of romance and history
that the charm of the old world resides.
This we may not have for generations yet,
but for all that is beautiful in scenery for all
hat is interesting III acUuaI me- one necu not
travel to Europe.
As approach the period of my trip in
Europe, find my heart the more drawn
toward home by all that l have seen and
learned here. Give me Europe for the past,
America for the present and the future. 1t
is good thing to travel if travel but brings