The Portland daily press., 1881-02-17
."As You Like 1t, act iii, scene 2.
The Chiltern Hundreds

Chambers journal.
A multitude of questions on the subiec pre-
sent themselves. What are these Hundreds,
and how many in number? Where are they
situated? Why have they Steward, and has
he any duties to fulfill? Is he paid, whether
for duties or no? Why do members of Parlia-
ment so frequef.ly ask for and obtain the
Stewardship? Let no one be ashamed of igno-
rance on these points; he has plenty of intelli-
gent and generally well-informed men to bear
him company and keep him in countenance.
Just few words concerning locality. The
Chiltern Bills extend in diagonal line across
many counties, including Berks, Bucks, Herts,
aid Bedford, and present different character
istics in different parts. That portion which
traverses the County of Buckingham was in
old times nearly covered with forests of beech.
trees, grand and magnificent, but infested
with robbers who had nothing of the romance
of Robin Hood and Maid Marian in them. The
Crown, as means Of protection to the neigh
boring inhabitants, appointed Steward or
Bailitf for the three Chiltern Hundreds of
Stoke Desborough, and Bohemian, or BOken-
ham. He had business office, duties to per-
form, and salary for performing them. A
sweeping change has long ago taken place;
forest, robbers, place of business, duties, sala-
~, all have vanished. But-and this is the
singular part of 1.-THE nominal Office is still
kept up, because it lends itself to very pecu-
liar stratagem or manHuvre adopted to extri-
cate members of the House of Commons from
an occasional dilemma. If the Stewardship
OF the Chiltern Hundreds happens not to be
vacant at a time when some one member
wants 1t, that of the manors of East Hendred,
Northshead, and Helpholme will answer the
same purpose. A very remarkable usage of
Parliament is the main cause to which all this
is due. Sir Erskine May; Chief Clerk of the
House of Commons, and the leading living au-
thority on all matters relating to the laws
rules, orders and proceedings of that branch of
the Legislature, tells us that a member after
due election cannot resign his seat; whatever
else he may do, he cannot do this 1t he ceases
to hold his membership it is because in effect
it is taken away from him, willingly or unwil-
lingly on his part. Hence arise certain ma
nGuvres which are in reality shams If he
wish for any reason to resign his seat in the
House of Commons, he asks for and obtains
post or Office under the Crown, that of Steward
of the Chitern Hundreds. Now there is law
in force which enacts that for any office Great
ed or founded since the beginning of the last
century. if a member accepts it, he thereby at
once forfeits his seat, and the House knows
him not. If he holds no such office, but nev-
ertheless wishes to resign his seat, he applies
for the Stewardship. The Prime Minister for
the time being represents the Crown on this
occasion. As matter pro fOrDld he nearly al
ways assents, and the recipient may and often
does surrender the honor on the very next day,
when it has answered his purpose. The office,
as we have said, is merely nominal-no place
of business or of meeting, no responsibilities,
no duties, no powers, no salary or fees.