The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-06
SECOND DOMINION PARLIAMENT.
Assembling Of the Legislative
h'a Body at Ottawa.
Hon. JAS. COckburn Elected
Speaker.
OPENING CEREMONIES,

OPENING CEREMONIES,
Monarchical Customs Of the Old World
Retained In the New. age saio.i-
ot lia7 Sol s.---- 70 smoo 81 9geofl c
OTTAWA. Ont, March S, 1879.
4 The Dominion Parliament assembled to-day and
unanimously elected Hon. James Cockburn
Speaker. ,..f ooor br. vrr s,,r 's.-..,, ~.
3 The Governor General will deliver speech from
the throne tomorrow.
brilliant Pageants and Opening Cere-
monies-How MY Lords and Commons
Arc Gathered Togethcr-The Oh bers,
Fittings, Proceedings and Costumes OF
Bygone Days. .s
etA OTTAWA, Ont, March 4. 1873.
To-day, some seven hundred miles south Of us,
you are celebrating the Inauguration Of General
Grants second term. Tomorrow we shall celebrate,
with more c0nsequence-thought the occasion IS of
less cOnsequence-the Inauguration or the Second
Parliament Of the Dominion. BY way OF
contrast between the two countries and
forms OF government which may, respectively, be
represented by the stovepipe hat and the cscked
hat, the HERALD correspondent proposes to give
some account of the form and ceremonies which
attend on the opening Of Parliament in Canada.
II the display be somewhat less imposing and more
tawdry than that offered to the heges Of London
when Her Majesty or the Lord Commissioners go
In State to the House of Lords still 1t Is sufficiently
out of the common American way to deserve CON-
ment and consideration, recalling as 1t doen in
some OF its features the days when Vaudreull held
his courtin the Castle OF st. Louis, or the ceremo
MES which attended the installation OF Gwynplaine
in Victor Hugo's romance ~ N''4 ''''p
sUMMoNING PARLIAMENT.
The old English custom survives in Canada OF
constantly summoning Parliament The ODlcial
Gazette, the colonial reproduction OF the London
Gazette announces, as soon as Parliament has been
dissolved or prorogued, that its members are
summoned to meet at ottawa on certain date,
forty days or less distant This is only formality,
to fulfil some old-fogyish but eminently constitu-
rional provision to prevent the sovereign from
usurping authority Tor period longer than forty
days without the popular consent. When the date
set comes round another proclamation is issued, q
summons to meet forty days later, and so on till
the proclamation reads "lor despatch OF business
essential words omitted In the merely formal dOcu
ments.
ORGANIZATION OF PARLIAMENT.
The members OF the Senate are appointed by the
Crown "for life during Her Majesty's pleasure"
which IS the same thing. The President of the
Senate is also appointed, not elected, SO that the
Senate is always organized, like the English House
OF Lords. The new President Is Hon. Pierre ]. O.
Chauveau, who succeeds Hon. Joseph Cauchon, ap-
pointed In 1867. Mr.. Cauchon's resignation was
for twofold purpose. His fiery speech and execu-
tive ability will be needed by his party in the Com
mons and in Quebec politics. Mr.. Chauveau was
lately Premier Of Quebec, but began to 'play out"
He Is gentlemanly, cultivated man, was for many
years superintendent and Minister OF Education
In Quebec, served In the Commons as Speaker, Is
an ardent Catholic, leaning to Ultramon tanism,
and vehement Frenchman.
After general election, such as that Of 1872, the
cierss have mracticay lie tcnnre the snccess
fu candidates present the declarations OF their
turns, signed by the officers to whom the writs
were originally directed, generally the sherifs' or
registrars The Clerk then swesrs them 10 1.-THE
oath OF allegiance is the oath adminstered), they
seats are contested the cases 90 to the Committee
on Contested Elections to be decided by special
subcommittee. The Clerk presldes over the de-
liberatiOnS OF the House till o Speaker has been
elected. +1fA .f .1-
THE TWO CHAMBERS.
The Senate chamber and Offlces lie to the right
as you enter from the great central tower. The
room Is spacious and lofty, well lighted from the
tor and particularly snowy; The decorations and
dents fdueatil is the throne, which reminds an IT.
reverent republican OF q gigantic rocking chair in
OF the same. flight of steps leads to this seat,
which are Carved the lion ana the unicorn a fight
Shekinah, visible symbol Of the absent majesty.
smack OF England survives in the robes and
gowns OF the President, clerks and chaplain, and
dependent way in which the Senator's covered,
hold conferences with the commoners, though the
on state occasions no one ever goes to the
Senate. The members have abundance OF room,
there Is no one in the galleries but the official re-
porter. sessions last an hour and all IL done.
The Commons chamber, TO the left as you enter,
10 pretty well crowded, galleries and floor. The
desks rise gently from the aisle; the Mt
tendance in all parts OF the House, give the room o
rather gloomy look. There Is much order in the
arrangements, which cOnduces TO rapid transac-
ton Of business. To the right OF the Speaker are
the minsterialsts the Premier by himself at the
prominen men at the other 'front.' desks, the small
Try further back. To the left are the members OF
Her Maiesty's loyal opposition" single desk,
the recognized leader oil the party, and
the prominent speakers occupying front seats.
The advantage Of such an arrangement Is obvious.
Almost all the speaking IS done by the men in
'front.' two-thirds OF the questions asked or amend
ments proposed come through the leader OF the
opposition, and the answers In as large proper
ton through the Premier. When a speaker ON the
lett has concluded the Speaker turns to the right
for reply, then back to the left for retuttal, and
20 on. The two parties are now led by Sir John A.
Macdonald, the Premier and Mr.. Alexander Nc
Sandaeld Mcdonald as chief of the opposition on
the death OF the latter. The new Speaker will
probably be Hon. James Cockburn, conservative,
who was formerly Solicitor General under Sir John
A. Macdonald, and was elected to the Speakership'
Of the flrst Parliament in 1867. ~
MAJ. fo MoNARCHlCAL MANNERS.
The most patent relics Of Old World institutions
are 10 be found In the otces OF the Sergeant-at-
Arms OF the House ana the Usher OF the Black Rod
OF the Senate. The former bears no special badge
Of Office except a silver-hilted sword, worn In q
baldric, over full dress suit. The Commons, how
ever. make up for abstinence In his regard by keep
ing up the mace, huge brass wand, triple gilt, sur
mounted by crown. This Is laid on the table when
the House Is In session, and borne before the
Speaker when he takes his seat or leaves it. That
(Oliver Cromwell to the contrary notwithstand-
ing) there Is something In the mace appears rom
the fact that in January 1879, the ontario Legsla
ture could not adjourn till the mace-bcarer, mad
vertenty absent, returned to the room, Though the
motion tn adjourn had been adopted. runcttho
worthy Of Castilei gf-l ly
The Usher OF the Black Rod Is the Sergeant-at-
Arnls.of the Senate lie cuts as odd ngure as
the tcapentnke In Hugo He wears full court
suit OF black, dress eQat rplpes, Heeerfecpss ana
silk hose, q bag wig and cooked nat buckled