Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-06-08
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.


Lower House-PIemfcr Gladstone.
A London correspondent Of the Bos.
ton Herald says: The House Of Com
mons meeting-room is little bit of a
place, only large enough, I am told, to
contain about half the members. Still,
it is seldom crowded. for the average
IA. 2. stays away from his duty with d
pertinacity that would do credit to a
United States senator from Nevada.
The room is not more than 100 feet long
by fifty wide. There is an open space
running along almost the entire length
Of the center Of the apartment, some
fifteen feet wide, ! should say. On
each side Of this space rows OF pews
gradually ascend, one above the other.
to the walls, like two straight theater
balconies facing each other. In these
pews the members sit. Above them,
entirely circling the hall. is shallow
gallery OF the visitors that part Of the
gallery crossing the innermost end Of
the room being reserved for the news
paper stenographers. Still above these
people there is series of tall, grated
windows. which look like the apertures
In the side of q prison. Behind these
gratings one can see here and there a
pretty face, set off by a bright ribbon Of
bunch OF flowers, and he presently
learns that he is looking at the ladies'
gallery. Exactly why they are fenced
OF IN this dark loft nobody about the
place seems to know. But there they
must 60 il they want to see the legisla-
tors at work. and there they must sit
like lot Of well-clad jail birds. Below
the reporters gallery, in the open space
between the rows of members, is the
speakers chair. It is q backed af-
fair, like the oak furniture we some
times see in pulpits. 1t is set under
kind OF canopy, also Of carved oak, some
fifteen feet high, I should think. The
speaker is clean-s -shaven man. seeming
~ about fifty years old, though it is
next to impossible to correctly estimate
his age. by reason of the white WIG
which hangs down over his shoulders
on each side like pair Of gray saddle
bags. He also wears black gown. and
when called upon for his decision Of
any quibble that may come up, ne rises
slowly, advances step two, and de-
livers his opinion in low, but distinct
and welt-modalated voice. His manner
is exceedingly impressive, but to the
American eye itseems that the dignifed
and well-poised bearing Of this official
would be greatly enhanced by the re-
moval of what in our country would be
regarded as masquerading toggery. In
front OF the speaker there sits two
clerks, likewise wigged and robed. But
these are not impressive parties, and
only aggravate the notion of the Ameri-
can about the grotesque effect of these
garments. One. of the things which
strikes the stranger most forcibly. is the
fact that nearly all the members wear
their 'splug" hats while sitting in the
house. They only remove these arti.
cles of head-gear when they rise to
speak. or when the speaker alludes to
one OF them. All in all the hat wearing
business may be regarded as fair sam
pie of the manners OF the assembIage.
II speaker begins to talk upon a tonic
which has no particular interest. about
three quarters Of the members will bolt
Tor the doors. Then somebody calls for
a count, and they stroll back until the
count is completed, when they trot
right out into the lobbies once more, If
man is particularly obnoxious to them.
they begin concerted system Of cough
ing, which can have no other effect than
to drown his words. If they like a man
or what he has to say they howl, "Hearl
hear!' for two or three minutes some
times, and it is always hard to tell when
they laugh whether it is done in iro.v
or appreciativeness of some humorous
point I hardly think. however, that
the latter application frequently ezistst
partly because humorous points are not
OF momentary occurrence in the speech
es of the house, and partly because the
house wouldn't know it il they were.
Such another shambling, hem and-haw
ing lot OF takers I never heard. The
great bulk OF them have no ideas to
convey, and only very few of those
who have understand how to convey
them, either with force or elegance.
Mr.. Gladstone il. one Of the clearest.
readiest takers have ever heard. He
sits in the front row OF the members'
pews'on the left-hand side. facing the
speaker, close by the end of the table
which stands in frcnt of the white
wigged clerks. Perhaps I should have
said he reclined there. for he doesn't
exactly ST. His head Is thrown back,
and rests upon the upper edge Of the
pew back, his hands are clasped in his
lap. his legs are sprawled out in front,
and he has the general app earance Of a
man sound asleep. But he isn't. Now
and then the eyes half open and shade
Of expression crosses the wrinkled fea-
lures, as the old man mentally notes d
point for future use. When his oppo-
nent has ceased speaking Mr.. Gladstone
comes to his feet with SURPRISING agil-
ity and advances step or two to the
end Of the table. There is little red
box here. containing his documents,
and he places the ends Of his right
hand fingers upon this box. he lifts