The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-03-14
AN EsQUIMAUx LEGISLATURE.

AN ESOUIMAUX LEGISLATURE.
'The idea of Greenland Parliment,"
says DR.. Hayes, in his graphic work en-
titled the LAND of Desolation," "struck
me as something ludicrous when first
heard of it; but upon gaining an intimate
acquaintance with its workings l changed
my mind, and became convinced that it all
parliaments did their work Only half as
well the world would be better governed.
"Now, these Greenlandars, or Esqui-
maux, are not prone to be governed; yet
the Danish rule is satisfactory to them,
and they submit to it withCuta a murmur,
and none the less readily that they have
a voice in their own affairs. Each little
town or hunting station is at liberty to
send up representative to sit.in the Par
Lament of Julianashaab. The number OF
representatives is twelve. The names OF
the most important towns besides the capi-
tai are Nenortalik, Fredericksdal, Lich-
tenan, (these two latter are missions of the
Moravian brethren) Isalliko, Krksiment.
The Parliament-hou is not an imposing
edifice. | should say its dimensions are
about sixteen by twenty feet. 1t is one
story high, is built of boards, lined on the
inside and painted blue, and on the out
side is plastered over with pitch. 1t has
no lobby, for the accommodation of people
who come to the capitol with axes for the
public grindstone, nor committee-rooms
for the better confusion of public business.
In the centre of the one room there stands
long table of plain boards, and along
either side there is one long bench OF the
same material; and on each bench sit six
Parliamentarians, dressed in sealskin
pantaloons and boots, and Guernsey frocks,
with broad suspenders arross their Shout
ders. The faces ofthese Parliamentarians
are all of very dusky hue, the color of
their hair is very black, and it does not
seem to have any greater familiarity with
combs and brushes than their faces with
soap and towels. However, they are an
amiable-looking party-at least they grin
and show their fine white teeth when l en-
ter, and are altogether, perhaps, quite
clean enough for ordinary Parliament
work. Every man of them has pencil in
his hand, and piece of paper on the table
before him, and each one is busy taking
notes thereon as some of our own honorable
members are said to be in taking ''notcs'
of another description.
"The aggregate amount of dignity pos
sessed by this Parliament was quite won
derful, and was, in truth, as overwhelming
as the fsy odor with which it was i'm
pregnated. But neither tile fshy odor nor
the dignity appeared to interfere with the
transaction of business; on the contrary,
they seemed to be working away like
beavers and, indeed, they disposed of mat
ters with such an amazing degree of
promptness, that fell instantly to wonder
ing whether dignity would not be good
thing to introduce into Parliaments, Con-
gress, Assemblies, and such like things
generally; and as to the fish atmosphere
l have no doubt that it was quite as whole
some as the atmosphere of some of our
legislative halls, where lobbyists are 50
thick about the doors and avenues, that
tell the party which ever does go in is soon
done for.
"These Greenland Parliaments serve an
excellent purpose. They take care of the
poor; they render assistance to the unfortu-
nate; they provide certain means of pun
ishing heindolent and guilty: they reward
the industrious; and when they have fin
ished with their business, they adjourn and
, 90 home to do their talking"