The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-02
THE FRENCH SpEAKERSIITP.
now 1T DIFFERS FROM 1.-THE CHAIR '
I'm WASHINGTON AND IN
LONnON
New York Worltl.l

New York Wnrldl
or itself, IL seems much less odd TO Amerl-
cans than IL does to English people To 500
n Speaker assume tho executive power
IN France. and M. Gambetta chosen rs his
successor In England, since the time oil
Mr. Charles Abbott, afterwards Lord Ghiches-
Ter H8D2-1D, the acceptance OF tho Speaker
ship has implied farewell to party politics,
indeed, Mr.. Brand, the present Speaker
Liberal, was reelected IN 1874 by Gonserva-
tive House. though only n couple Of genera-
tions bacl IL was not considered matter for
surprise when Speaker tMf. Addingtehl
quilted tho rhnif for the treasury, or another
Speaker (Mr afterwards Lord Grenyille1
loft IL 10 become Home Minister and nj
still earlier period the Speakership was re-
garded as purely subordinate oftlee
and u stepping stone to place under inc
Crown. We, however, hive seen one hmerl-
can Speaker (Mr. Polk elected to the Presi-
dency. and another tMr Colfax1 TO tho Vice
Presidency; third tMr. Clay receive his
party's nomination for presidential honofs,
and fourth (Mr. BIainel came within an acc
Of it; and for long time past tho Speaker
ship has carried with IL 30 many responsible
tiles to party that NJ. CREWS election to the
Presidency Of the French Republic, md M.
Gambettas preference for Tho presidency OF
tho Chamber of Deputies rather than for the
leadership of the House. to use an English
phrase, do not seem much out of the common.
There la an immense and interesting differ
ence between the duties of the presiding ofli-
GERS Of the English, French and American
national legislatures. md In the method In
which they are discharged. Mr. Speaker In
England has been from time immemoriai an
awful parsonage Tradition has recorded his
terrible threat generations ago TO nm OBJ
gtreperous member: "Sir, sir, If you do lot
instantly refrain and apologies to the House |
shall be compelled 10 name You, menhGs
so dreadful that the offending member =
knees smote together and he INSTANTLY mnds
his apology. Tradition added that when Mr..
speaker was asked by II deeply impressed
member Of the House what would have been
the consequences had be named the rebel. he
shook his horse haired head spemniY anh an
awcrcd, "Sr. the Lord only knows. Major
O'Gorman, however was named 10 the House
n few months ago and survived temporarily,
ut least. for he made his peace next day, and
thus the consequences OF being named and re-
mining coHtumaCiuus remain unknown to
thoss outside the councils of Omniscience.
Points of order, too, In which the mtsdi-
revele. are practically unknown abroad. the
disgust and Indignation excited by Mr.. Par
ncll's "ObstfuativeS' on recent memorable
occasion will not have passed out Of the re-
membranes of readers. The French Speaker
or Moderator as he ought to be call d
has a kind Of business peculiarly his
own, and his own peculiar way OF doing
IL. He Is apt to be subjected TO tor
rent OF vituperation Mt any moment from the
faction to which he does not belong, and he
~ Bf.Ft1 ttI
IN opponent The House Mt Washington.
with Mr.. Conger and or Mr.. Townsend bay
Ing deep-mOuthed defiance to half q dozen
Southern brigadiars, or with fifty truly
loyal, honorable gentlemen anxious To get the
floor and STAY over again n slain rebel claim,
II peace and decency compared with some Of
tho scenes q French Assembly presents. and
which are the delight Of "Cham and other
caricaturlsts Instead Of calling order or
using his gavel. M. 10 President has
Only one notion Or stopping eommotlon.
Aud that Is to tingle his boil
When the outrage becomes uncomfortable he
clans his hat upon his head an official head
covering by this awful act adjourns the
Chamber He has very rarely to 40 to this
length, but 1t IL OF record that under Nj. Buf-
fet's preaidrnce member grabbed the hat to
prevent the Speaker from closing the session,
and NJ Buffet was only enabled 10 proceed
officially and formally after his partisanB, by
| d furious charge had recovered the important
headgear aud tossed 1t mp to him. NJ Grevy
was often 80 badgered that. cold and dignited
| ms he proverblally ia, he turned white and lost
| the power of speech. M. Gambetta has not
| so good q temper, but he had abundant vtu-
perative power and speaks well when angry
| however. he has ampler powers than We're EN-
| jOyed by his predecessor, for he can suspend
u noisy member for three days or call him te
| order and stop he by no nouns small expense
| of having the cali to order printed and posted
| m on oh pf the ar (lQn Hf France D1ii
| Of the cOntumacOus members pay. Till last
month france indeed had two odd Speakers
| NJ. Grevy. the coolest and least passionate
| man in French public life, presiding over th'
| riotous Deputies, while the Due d Audiflret
Pasquier, the most heated of orators, sat IL
the chair of the glacial Senate. This Dukes
| uncle was President of the Chamber OF Peers
under Louis Philppe-that Chamber of Peers
to which and to tho tricnndeda Foseitte th'
| revolution of 1913 WAS falkland II very gOot
Speaker he made. Knowing every member
character, he never hesitated to check on
| who was In imminent peril OF making an as
of himself, though his manner was peculiar
When all orator had dashed himself Into
fury and was about to gasp out something
supplementary, Baron Pasquier woul'
graciously lean forward and offer him
pinch OF snuff! M. Dupin Is credited wit
kindly remarking when Victor Hugo-thi
was In the days OF the Second Republio-wa
| perOrating with Alpine sublimity, Il see yo
are out OF breath, str, pray rest moment"
sort of consideration that must have been a
welcome to the victim as a cat in q game {
ten pins. M. Dupin. on another occasion
when Berger was faying one of the Prince
Presidents ministers alive, was heard sternl
to remark, "Sir, II this violent language
persisted In ! shall interfere" and then lear
Ing over to the tribune to whisper gleefuIly t
the speaker, "Giye it to hmp NJ. Dupi
, ruled by epigrams. sarcasm, interruptions
and II no other means awaited by blowing hi
nose like a trumpet, or composing himself q
, If Tor nap. The Due desMorny, In Napoleon
Corps Legislatif, "had all the graces of a
impertlnent but highly polished gran
, sei0neur." His favorite device when men
Der Of the Opposition excoriated him was t
affect deafness and invite the honorab
gentleman to "say 1t over again and say
low" laughing blandly at the conclusion
, the repetition and bowing his thanks to til
orator. But the Chamber has had Speaker
+; Of another sort, men like the Vicomte de La
iuinais, who presided during the Restoration
and adjourned one stormy debate for qua
ter Of an hour because the members were nc
In fit condition to discuss public business
or like the austere Barbe- Marbois who dt