Connecticut western news., 1877-06-29
Making Pretend.

The Queens Speech" as we all know, is not the Queens speech; it is not written by her Majesty, and for many years past has seldom been spoken by her. The Prime Minister writes it; after conferring with his col leagues; the Lord Chancellor reads it, as one of the three Commissioners named for that special purpose. In earlier periods of our history, when the sovereign was his own Prime Minister. and his officials were dismissed at his will and pleasure, his speech was really 8 speech, but now that the Ministers are responsible for all the public pro- ceedings of the Crown, the speech is a in the first person singular, and read from a written paper by other lips. Once now and then the present Queen has had to be furnished with lighted candles to enable her to read her own gracious speech on the afternoon of 8 foggy dayl The Queen is Loyalty sup posed to be present in every court of justice, near the colors of every regi- ment, and on the quarter deck of every vessel belonging to the royal navy. To salute the colors during march past is to salute 8 symbol of sovereign power.
 And even on the darkest night, or when no human being sees him, 8 naval officer touches his cap when stepping up to the quarter deck. It is not tell ing little flo, but acting one; making pretend" for 8 purpose sanctioned by all and injurious to none. The ''honor- able member for-"may not be distin- guished for particularly honorable con- duct as 8 member of society; but it is felt that the House of Commons must wink at this, and treat him like the rest. The "most reverend prelate,' the reverend occupants of the spirit ual bench.n the ''illustrious duke oh the cross benches," the noble marquis.' the noble and learned lord" ;" the "hon- orable and gallant member for-,s "my right honorable friendn-all these are intended, not as mere hatteries, but to preserve decorum and courtesy in the proceedings of the two houses. If members mentioned one another by name, or used the second person ''you,n , unseemly wrangles would almost inev- itably occur; little making pretend. ]" even if involving a somewhat cumbrous form of circumlOcution, is found useful here; many foreign Chamber of Dep uties or House of Representatives suf- fers sadly from the absence of some such rules. "Your obedient servaut," :" this is @ small fib; for, generally speak ing, you are neither his servant nor are you Obedient to him. "Truly yours" and "Yonrs faithfully" are equally de- partures from strict verity; in all pro- bability your correspondent has never done anything deserving of gush of warm sentiment on your part. "Yours always sincerely"-well, there may be little earnestness here; but always" IS more than you can honestly pledge yourself to. A fair lady is sometimes a little embrassed in this matter. She may be under the necessity of writing to decline 8 tender offer made to her by a gentleman. How is she to address himf 'Yours respectfully" or "obedi- ently," or ''truly"-why, this is what he wishes her to be, but what she amour ces in the letter her refusal to be; and "Your obedient servant" is no better. for as she refuses to be his wife, she most certainly will not be his servant. Turn the matter about how we may; there is no apparent escape from making pretend" unless the subscrip- tion to the letter be limited to the mere signature. But the making pretend' of respect or obedience is small eour- tesy which lessens the probability of giving offense.