Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-08-13
VISIT TO PARLIAMENT.
What Woman saw from Her Grated
Pen In the Commons GALLERY
Kate Field in the Christian Union.

&
i one hour before the house assembled
I il was locked. and dozen women stood
1 before il ready to make raid on the
/ front seats. AT last the imposing usher
appeared, unlocked the door, and the
scramble began, but we were stopped
in our mad career by the iniperturbable
person in black, who after comparing
our names with those OH his list allowed
us to proceed. By a firm but not riot
us display Of muscle, secured front
seat. This is beautiful, is ii not?'' said
an elderly lady to her companion,
What have you brought with you?"
"Sherry, sandwiches and some sal vo-
LATHE. I" Very sensible my dear"
added the elder lady. Just before
| leaving home had some sausages, be-
cause they are saving Women speak
little in this pen, the effect Of the graf
ing being depressing. No men are al
lowed NJ. P.'s excepted, who dropped
III occasionally to see their friends. The
only diversion is tea. OF chop served
Ill rctiring-room.
The moment NJ. P's enter the house
they remove their hats. bow to the
speaker, and generally cover their heads
on sitting down. Whether this very
unciyil and unbecoming custom Is due
to there being no place for hats saving
under the benches, where they may be
kicked about, or the assumption that
lawmakers are superior beings, entitled
to wear their hats in the presence of
law itself as the heads of some Spanish
grandecs remain covered in the pres
ence of royalty, leave to imagination.
One thing is certain, keeping the head
continually covered does not improve
the hair; bald heads are many among
commoners. A general growth Of hair
is exceptional, even young men care
fully brushing their locks over the tops
Of their head to conceal the coming
skating-rink. Some heads resemble
magnificent billiard-balls. have gazed
upon bald Uranium where the self-es-
TEEN ran up to such point that all the
hair slid down hill and took refuge at
the base Of the brain.
TO distinguish one man from anoth-
err requires far-sighted vision. and the
effect of several hundred hats is not
more imposing than an equal number
of stovcpipcs. Gladstone and John
Bright are almost the only men whose
heads are regularly uncovered. 1t is
most interesting to sec these two clever
men sitting beside each other, with their
heads together looking like venerable
owls. Gladstone seems to enjoy sitting
on the middle Of his back, and John
Bright apparently derives comfort from
crossing first one leg and then the other.
This sort of thing proves that even
great men are human. Lord Harting-
ton will wear his hat, and all we learn
from our pen is that he is tall and
slight and Saxon in coloring.
The house assemblies ut $40 F. NJ.
First the doors fly open: then the
speaker" is announced. The usher of
the black rod, bearing the mace, bows
iii the speaker, who is arrayed in long
black gown and flowing wig. He is fol-
lowed by the chaplain and another i'll
wig and gown. The speaker mounts
his throne; the black rod lays the mace
! Ca gold crown poised on II velvet pole
long enough to handle II cross the lower
end of the table. NJ P.'S of Il punctu-
Ill turn of mind-thcir name il not
legion suddenly appear, and the chap
lain reads the prayers of the day. We
iii the decr-pcn hear nothing.
After the chaplain mas gallopcd
through his duty he exits backward,
many of the NJ. P.'s rush out, ~ though
they had Just remembered they ought
to be somewhere else, and business be-
gins. 4 clerk i'll wig and gown, stand
ing at the head of the table, reads about
petitions and other matters i'll numb
ling voice that | can't hear. Nj. P.'s
don't wish to, for they jump up and APP
parently say things to themselves, for
not one word reaches us women. IL is
tradition in the provinces that mem
hers arc glued to their seats from $40
p. NJ until O'Clock, when they dash
homo, embrace their wives, if they
have any, swallow a chop, and return
| to immediate themselves on the altar of
their country until 3 or O'Clock in the
morning. Poor provinces, About fifty
members do the work, and no member
active or otherwise, remains in the
| house if he can help it, Our senators
and representatives when not busy III
committees are found in their seats,
but our system is different. We put
desks, and papers, and pens and ink,
and books Of reference before our lcgis-
lators, and tell them to write their let
tiers, etc, with one eye and both ears on
the speakers. England furnishes her
legislators with nothing but hard bench
es, and when they want to write or inn
prove their minds they retire to the IL
brarv or elsewhere. | don't blame NJ
rs for retreating, particularly in warm
weather, when they can sit on A charm
ing terrace overlooking the Thames,
and with il cigar in one hand and \ bot
tie Of soda in the other, may gaze Mt
the moon, Westminster bridge, and St
Thomas hospital, discussing British in
terests and the last scandal, while gentle
zephyr kisses their manly hrows. What
being in his senses w,9ld not prefer
this to the stutiy atmosphere and prosy
talk Of the house? When NJ. P.'s arc
really wanted 4 belwams them. and III
five minutes they are AL III their seats
ready for a division. Parliamentary
disturbances generally occur before dim
ner or several hours after, when the
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