New-York tribune., 1877-08-29
ENGLISH PICTURES.
RAMBLEs ABOUT LONDON.

| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ~ THE HOUSE OF
| COMMoSs-IHg MACE-CBARACTfRfsTICs or
| BRITISH NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. on ORATORY-THg
PALACE OF wEsTMINsTER-sTATCEs IN sr.
STEPHENS HALL AND WESTMINSTER HALL
MEMORIES AND AssocIATIoSs-EvERYDA FLEAs-
UREs or LoNDOS-THK LAST DRRBY-FEATUREs
OF GREENWICH AND RICHMOND.
IRON STAFF CORRESPONDENT oF THE TRIBuNz.l
| LONDON, Aug. 4.-The American who. having
been careful and interested reader OF English his
tory visits London for the first time, naturally
| poets TO find the ancient city in a state Of mild
decay; and he is consequently a little startled at
first, upon realizing that the Present is quite as
vital as ever the Past was and that London anti
guilty is, in fact swathed in the robes of everyday
action, and very much alive. When for example.
y6u enter Westminster Ha-"the great hall Of
William Rufus "-yot are beneath one Of the most
glorious roofs in the wOrld-a root which was built
by Richard H.. whose grave Is in the Abbey,
just the street from where you then stand.
But this old hall has now become a mere yestibule
to the Palace of Westminster The Lords and tho
Commons of England. on their way TO the Houses Of
Parliament, pass every day over the spot which
Charles l. was tried and condemned. and on which
occurred the trial Of Warren Hastings. IL is a
mere thoroughfarcg glorious though il be. alike i'm
structure and historic renOwn. The Palace Yard,
near by, the scene of the execution II SIR
Walter Raleigh; but all that now marks tho
spot is rank Of cabs and shelter for cabdriyefs.
In MISREPRESENTATION Shakespeare once lived
you may find Crosby House-the same to which
the Duke of Gloster requests the retirement
Of Lady Arne. It ~ a restaurant now and YOU
enjoy capital chop and excellent beer IN the yeri
able throne-room Of Richard III. The house
Of Cardinal Wolsey, in Holborn, is now a SHOP.
Milton lived once in Golden-lane; and GolAen-lans
outo IL Ia Ittsrx
and dismal, and the visitor is glad to get out of it,
To-day makes use of yesterday, all the world over
1t is not in London, certainly, that You fiui much
of anything-except old churches-lefl tO mOulder
in solitude. silence and neglect
Those who see every day the mace thar Is borne
through the lobby Of the House OF Commons, al
though they are obliged on every occasion o remove
their hats as il passes do not probably view that
symbol with much interest Yet IL is tie same mace
that Oliver Cromwell insulte' when D. dissolved
the Parliament. aud cried out, Take away that
baublew saw il one day as passage 10 the table
Of the Commons, and very glad 10 remove tho
hat Of respect to what It signiiies-thc power and
majesty of the free people of England. The speaker
Of the House was walking behind H. very grand IA
his wig and gown, aud the members ir0oped IN ~
his heels to secure their places by being present at
the opening PRAYER little later was myself pro-
blage of British Senators, and could observe al
their management Of the public business Tho
Speaker was on his throne; the mace was on It's
table; the hats Of the Commons on their heads
aud over all this singular, animated everyday,
and yet impressive scene, the waning light II SUM
mer afternoon poured softly down through tie high.
stained and pictured windows Of one of the most
symmetrical halls in the world. II did lot happen
10 be a day Of excitement The Irish members bad
not then begun TO impede the transaction of busl-
ness for the sake of drawing attention 10 the ever
lasting wrongs of Ireland. Yet IL was lively day.
Curiosity the part of the Opposition, aud most
Dense respectful dubiousnes the part of Her Ma
jesty's representatives, were the prevailing c0ndi-
tions thought had never before heard many
questions asked-outsde OF the French grammar
and asked to so little purpose Everybody wanted
to know, and nobody wanted to tell. Each inquirer
took of his hat when nc TO ask and put IL on
again when he sat down to be answered. Zach Cow
ernmental sphinx barred his brow when he emerged
to divulge, and covered it again when he subsided
without dyuging. The respect of all these iuterlo
cutors for each other steadily remained. however ot
the most deferentia aud considerate description %
that without discourtesy-It was impossible
not TO think Of ByrOn's "mildest hammered
man that ever scuttled ship or cut a throat
Underneath this yelyety purring conventional
prejudice and strong antagonsm They make no
parade in the House of Commons. They mean
business. Aud upon every topic that is brought
before their notice they have definite ideas. strong
convictions and settled purposes. The topic Of
Army Estimates upon the occasion 20 which re-
fer seemed especially to their ardor. Discussion
Of this continually diversified by cries OF " OhV
and of " Hearw and of Order;7 and sometimes
these cries smacked more Of derison than of COM
pliment. Many persons spoke, but no person spoke
we'll An off-hand matter-of-fact, shambhng
method Of speech would seem to be the fashion in
the British House Of Commons. thought Of tho
anecdote that De Quincy tells about Sheridan and
the young member who quoted Greek. IL was easy
to perceive how completely out Of place the soph0-
more orator would be in that assemblage. But-
ons never will be slaves to oraoory. The
moment a certain windy gentleman zoe
the floor and began TO read manuscript
respecting the Indian Government, "a many
forty Commons arose and walked ont Of the House.
Your pilgrim likewise hailed the moment of his
deliyerance, and was glad 10 escape 10 the open
air.
Books have been written TO describe the Palace u
Westminster; but il is observable that this struc-
tye however much ITS magnihcence deserves record.
is deficient yet in the charm which resides n
association The old Palace of st. James, with its
low. dusky walls, Tvs Iouhu tONtir, dhn IL H'tt'h
battements, is much more impressive, because his.
tory has freighted il with meaning and time has
made il beautiful But the Palace Of wes,mius,cr
is a most splendid structure. IL covers eight acus
of ground on the bank Of the Thames IL contains
eleven quadrangles and five hundred rooms;
and when its inches for statuary have all been filed
it will contain two hundred and twentysx statues.
The monuments in 81. stephens llall-into which
YOU pass from Westminster Hall, which has bceu in