Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-04-18


pulace Of Versailles. Still one is not prepared
somehow to see parliamentary assembly ar
ranged so completely after the fashion OF q
theatrical audience. The theatre has under
gone hardly any alteration in its arrangement.
The tiers Of boxes are just as they might have
sat there. The dress circle, as we should call
it in London is principally occupied by the
officials, the diplomatists, and their friends.
On the second range are the journalists and
the more favored class of the general public.
The higher you go the less is your favor, until
you reach the loges grillees, or little barred
piEeon-holes Of round shape, just where the
ceiling begins to slope outward, and which
wore originally intended for persons who wished
to, see the performance iu the royal theatre
,wthou. being seen, or whom perhaps some OF
the audience did not desire to see. The pit
and the stalls are occupied By the members OF
the Assembly; the President sits on the stage,
with huge bell on the table close to his hand.
The ministers sit in front Of him, but beneath,
facing the audience. Between him and the
audience, and IL little to his right, is the tri-
buuc-a sort of pu'pit-from which the orators
address the Assembly. At first the idea con-
ycycd to the mind Of the unaccustomed visitor
is entirely that of an ordinary theatre during a
morning performance. He can hardly for Il
time bring himself to believe that this is a
great National Assembly charged with the re-
generation of a crushed and conquered country.
lie seems rather to be assisting" at the rep
rcscnation of some comedy.
1t Is not easy to obtain admission to one Of
these galarics. 10 begin with, there are some
seven hundred and fifty members to be ac-
comnodated with seats. Then there are the
diplomatsts Of the various nations and the
officials of all sorts, who are entitled to be
provided with places. Then there are the wives
OF the members aud the wives Of the diplomat
lists and officials. Then the public may be tax
en- into consideration. Every member has in
his turn two tickets to give away to strangers;
but his turn does not come very often, and he
can hardly accommodate during session one
fourth Of his friends. Each day the questor,
solemn and dread official, NJ de Baze, much
detcsicL by the journalists-has few tickets
to give away--provided there be vacant places,
or that those to whom he gives the tickets will
wait until some wearied spectators shall
leave their seats to return no more, aud so
make way for others. Then there are the
hge grtliees of which spoke aud which are
dreadful little dcns just under the root, from
which people with keen sight may possibly, by
straining their eyes, distinguish NJ. Theirs from
VI. Ganbctta. Under such circumstances
vas glad indeed to have a kind friend in the
Assembly, man Of influence and celebrity,
whom | had known in his exile, and who may
at any turn of the wheel be one OF the leading
ministers of republican France My. Friend
coutrivcd that should hear the debates more Of
ten than is usually the good fortune of strangers
during the same period Of time. heard some
passionate aud stormy discussions and saw some
brilliant passages OF arms. But it was some time
before the notinn Of theatrical performance
wore away The galleries were full Of ladies, Of
officers in uniform, of elegantly dressed lawyers,
and-but these last certainly rather disturbed
the thcatric idea-of priests in their peculiar
garb. 1t was not easy to bring the mind serl-
ou.y to regard the persons in the pit and stalls
as the rsscmbed Legislators of France.
Yet the debates are hot and angry and
earnest enough sometimes to Danish from
the mind Of the spectator any thought OF
light comedy. | was n the House Of Com
lDolls on the famous night OF the debate on Sir
Charles bikes motion, and [ have seen many
another stormy scene in the same House, not to
speak Of some rather noisy discussions in the
Capitol at Washington and scenes 10 the Pa
lais Bourbon, Paris, when the Imperial Corps
we're doing the whole work of opposition. But
|, at least, never heard such vehement, pcrsis.:
tent and passionate camor as iu the theatre OF
Versailles during the sitting of this present AS
semhly. The whole seven hundred and fifty
odd members seem at times to be yelling with
one throat. Half are trying to scream down
the speaker half the other noicty are shout
ing 10 his defence the rest are bawling out
appeals for silence The orator in the tri-
bunal shrcks defiance to his enemies, and
shakes his fists at Them and bangs the front
of his rostrum sometimes with both hands
together. Now and then some interruption,
shriiIer or nearer than the rest, catches his
ear, and he goes off into an episodical alter
cation with that particular enemy, each
''skirling,' as the Scottish fshwires would
say at the very top Of his voice. The Pres
idcut endcayors to restore order by ringing his
bell ia manner which would suggest to Eng
lsh ears the notice of departing train or an
approaching muffin man. The bell only adds
another dreadful sound to the din; until the
Assembly has fairly spent itself with rage and
roaring there is no chance Of quiet; and even
long after the actual tumult is over. there is a
visible and audible commotion still oVerspread-
ing the benches, such as may be observed on the
sea the morning after storm. Yet the Pres
idcnt of the Assembly, NJ. Grcvy, is a man of
some dignity and authority with a rather impos-
ING presence and decisive manner. When
some one of the vice presidents-say NJ. st.
Marc Girardin-takes the chair IN the absence
of NJ. Grevy, the Assembly converts itself into
a very Babel. All this time, Of course very
little business is done but unless there is some
debate of remarkable interest going on, as on
the occasion when NJ. Gambetta late y raised
the question of dissolution, The Assembly
breaks up hurricdIy, anyhow, when the time
comes for the 'dinncr.train' back to Paris