Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-09-08
LEGISLATIVE HUMORS.

OF Parliamentary Anecdotes" 10 whicl
Il there are several good stories about emf
nent men. Some of the salient points ar
given 10 a long review in a London literar,
Journal, .andlas the volume has not We. ap
peared in this country, we quote few o
them: 1
| William Gerard Hamilton was called
tssIEGLE SPEECH HAMILTON
whereas be made many admirable speech
es, though none Of them, perhaps, was VI
to the spirit and elevation of his frs
speech, which was delivered in the Houst
Of Commons in November 1855. The de-
bate was upon Lord HillsbOrough's moving
the address, and an amendment concern.
ing some of its clauses. In support o.
the mover, two young members spoke
for the first time. They were
Mr.. Stanhope, Lord Chesterfield's
son, and Mr.. William Gerard Hamilton
1t was Mr.. Sitanhope, not Hamilton, who
spoke then for the first and last time, Stan
hopes speech was 'yery bad" though Dr.
Maty thought she succeeded tolerably vel
upoa the whole" He had been well trained
to the effort by his father; but be broke
down through timi6ity, resumed bis seat il
confusion, and no psternal argument OF
comfort could ever inspire him with suff-
Gent courage and confidence to make a
second attempt. 1t was otherwise
4 with young Hamilton. Although
Ibis speech, like Stanhope's, and
like most, If not all, first speeches, was pre-
pared, the self possession of the speaker en-
1 abled him to refer to previous speakers and
to answer passing remarks. His speech was
| described, by some who heard it, as aper-
| lection" 1t was called the,most argument
stive in debate where great masters of
| argument abounded; full of antithesis, bat
antithesis 50 prepared as TO produce forci-
| bic logical consequences. Ali was spoken
with the ease of an established speaker.
The manner was equal to the matter.
BURKE'S FIRST SPEECH,
| delivered In 1866, on discussion concern
| ing America, was SO successful that Mr..
Pitt complimented him in the highest terms.
Praise from the latter was held to be as
good as that of the united House, which, in
deed, was not wanting on this occasion.
BGrke's eloquence flowed fom heart and
brain over the lips, without let or hindrance.
Gibbons flowed from the same source, but
slowly through the pen. He sat mute, or
nearly so, during eight sessions, having been
FIRST returned 81. p. for Liskeard in 1774. 1t
was the very success of his pen that dis
couraged the trial OF his voice; and he has
told US that pride fortified his timidity. CT
am still a mute" he writes to friend. 'Tt
is more tremendous than l imagined. The
great speakers fill me with despair; the bad
ones with terror" He found the inter-
course that came of his parliamentary oc-
cupatien beneficial. 81 never found my
mind more vigorous" he tells US in his
Autobiography, ''nor my composition more
happy, than in the winter hurry Of society
and Parliament"
was not twenty of years of age when he
made bis first speech In the House, A. D.
1859. Is was ouly on point of order. II
was like preparatory fein.s at fence OF one
who wants to use arm and sword to good
purpose. The really first speech was de-
livered two months later. 1t was on the
Middlesex petition in reference to the
right of the Middlesex electors to re-
turn Wilkes. Lord Holland said it
was all off-hand, argumentative.
Sir Charles Bunbury praised
its spirited parliamentary language, and
constitutional knowledge. Walpole says
that young Fox answered Burke with
great quickness and parts, but with conf
dence equally premature" 1t was a mis-
fortune for Fox that he was able, at any
time, to speak off-hand. For him it was a
fatal facility. On this very occasion he had
Just come up from Newmarket, where he
had "been drinking all night, and he had
had no sleep at ALL" and this process, de-
bzuchery and then craftsmanship, went on
till very advanced period of Fox's life.
WILLIAM PITTS FIRST SPEECH
was made in 1881, on Burke's bill for the re-
duction of the civil list. Lord North, who
had heard so many first speeches, declared
that it was the best "first" he had ever
heard. Gen. Grant protested that there
| was only Fox in the House who could
make such another. Fox was even more
enthusiastic in his praise, confessiug that
| Chatham lived again in his son. Ths de-
pertinent, ease, readiness, harmonious voice
| Of the elder Pitt were all manifest In the
younger Pitt. "He is already one of the
1 first men in Parliament" said Fox. "Chip
| of the old block" exclaimed Burke, in ref
erence TO Pitts eloquence compared with
his fatber's-s'it is the old block ITSELF"
SHERIDAN AND JOHN TOWNSEND
1 are said to have made their first speeches
on the same occasion IS that on which Pitt
made his. Sheridan, however, had spoken
first few nights before, on the subject OF
his election for Stafford. He was listened
to with an interest born of great expecta
ton; but never did an aspiring orator more
utterly fail. His reputation was belied.
His tongue seemed too thick for manage
ment, and he was the more indistinct from
his nervous agitation. rhe House was
silent. Sheridan went into the gallery
to get Frank Woodfall's opinion. Wood
fall said, "You have got out OF your
depth; you had better go back to your old
pursuits" Sheridan's pride was stirred;
his consciousness of power revived. 81
know that it is in me, and out it shall
come!" It came out on the night of Pitts
first speech, when, so to speak, Sheridan
rolled Courtenay in the mud, danced upon
him, and then set him upon his legs that
the spectators might see what 1901 ne
looked. Soon after this, new and ole
speakers came into collision, got used to it
and struck out sparks which slightly panied
where they fell, and delighted all who were
not singed by them.
In later times the most notable failure OF
first rising to speak in the HOUSE wa:
that Of
MR.. DISRAELI
IN 1851. bis "malueu SpS6Cu wac Ou eue
subject of Irish election petitions. Tht
Grafton, which excited more hilarity thar
cheers, ended with the now well known
words, 81 have begun several times many
things, and have often succeeded at last
| will sit down now, but the time will CONS
when you will hear me-"
POPULAR PHRASES.
Many a popular phrase was born in the
House of Commons. From John Can
Hobhouse came "His Majesty's Opposi
ton" Tierney clinched the phrase by
saying that the Opposition was branch 0
the Kings Government. "Although tn
gentlemen opposite are in Office, we ar
in power. The measures are ours
but the emoluments are thells.'
In much earlier days Lord Thur
low, styling the Duke of Grafton a
''the accident of an accidenG," uset
a phrase which became a proyerb
Goblet dealt largely in depreciatory terms.
To him we owe prosperity Robinson,
sphinx nosed Liverpool" Eolus Canning,
and worse than these; but they were not
out-spoken, like Thuriow's amenities; the,
were written ii Cobbett's Register" 70
the amusement Of his readers As debate
: in one house are things not to be noticed
In the other, or, rather, ussi not to be
the term "another place" was employee.
to evsde the difficulty. Every man, prob
Al. Ii mil a.