Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-29
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.


How II Appears to American Eyes.
SCENES AND oRATORY DURING A sEssION-PBs
PORTRAITS OF THE MOST PROMINENT MEMBERS.
Correspondence Boston Herald
LONDON, March g. 1SS2.-In London there was
no great amount of excitement over the attempt
to shoot the Queen. That is to say, there was
very little of it observable in the streets, or In
the house of commons, where was sitting when
the news was brought. The different members
received the intelligence very quietly. There
was scarcely buzz as the statement was spread
through the room. The only fervent expression
heard came from member Of the land league
party, who said, in my hearing: 81 hope to God
this MacLean isn't an Irishman!" The reason Of
this ejaculation, which was mentally shared
by the entire Irish delegation, il obvious. In
their opposition to everybody else in the
house they have all they can handle by way of
unpopularity, without getting into such q co m
plication as the staying Of the Qaeen by an Irish
man would produce. The phlegm of the English
Is something almost startling, even to an Amer
lean who is not particularly inclined to exuber-
ance. 1t is only on papeg that a Briton enthuses
to any marked extente In America an attempt
ton into the streets, and massed them in turbu-
lent punches on every corner. Here the event
was spoken Of quietly, and not the slightest
tendency to ''gush" was observed until the
newspapers came out. Then there was howl
in the land But it was purely pen-and-ink
howl. The theaters all stopped their perform
ances when the word was passed. and the Or
chestras played "God Save the Queen" while
the audiences stood up, as they always do when
that doleful melody is walled out. Then the peo-
balance Of the shows, without disturbing
themselves in the slightest. There wasn't
even this amount of DEPRESSION in the
house OF commons. where scarcely quo
rum of the members were listening to a
long-winded sDeech on Irish matters Mr.
John Sexton had just finished his reply to Mr..
GladstOne's remarkable effort of two days before
This Mr.. Sexton is regarded by the land league
members as their best speaker, and he has by
only two efforts made great impression upon
the entire house and the people at large. Nobody
doubts that, had Mr.. Sexton spoken on the
government side of the question with the grace
he employed in his opposition speech he would
have been generally accepted as one of the
greatest orators of the time. That his gifts are
widely respected is shown by the fact that Mr.
Gladstone and nearly all the prominent govern
ment members sat through his entire speech,
and for the most part watched it's progress
closely. In America, Mr.. Sexton would not be
regarded as remarkable orator. He reasons
closely and logically. but he clothes his ideas in
language that is frequently verbose and not
often eloquent. l should take him to be about
80. He is slight and good looking with dark
eyes, short. brown beard and flushed cheeks
He stands with a lot of notes in his right hand,
and toothpck in his left. As he speaks he
punches his notes with his toothpick, and smiles
unconsciously whenever good phrase escapes
him. He is not fluent. and
COVERS UP HIS sL0wNEss BY DEVICES
that are injurious to the continuity of his argu@
ment. He will say, "Now let us pass to the
number of evictiOns under the land act and
what do you find there? We find that the num-
Der of evictions under this land act is" so-and-
so. A speaker who had his points all arranged,
and who had fully mastered the art of oratOry
would have said with the force that comes of
terseness: 'We find that the number of evic-
lions under this act has been increased by" So
and-sO. Mr.. Sexton is not rapid thinker but
he is clear one, and he uses this method of
hiding defect that will doubtless be overcome
by experience. Whatever force he has lies in
the statement of facts and the quiet deduction
OF logical theories. He would be better news
paper writer than he is an orator. He is ac-
cepted as remarkable in the latter capacity for
the reason that there is dreadfully poor cOllec.
ton OF speakers in the house of commons. In q
comparative sense he stands head and shoulders
above any Of those 1 have heard except
ing Mr.. Gladstone. The average British
commoner is not elected because he
has has any ability in any direction, but
teet u e.. ne =, belongs to the party
he chooses to run, and because he has money
enough to pay for the honor. Not that q man
may directly purchase membership. but the
election expenses are heavy in land where
there is little violent difference of opinion. and
only the well-tO-dO can afford the luxury of add
ing MP. to his name l have onfs to say that
Mr. GladstOne's son, young man who has vet
to develop any remarkable genius is member,
and Mr. Ashmead-Bartlett is another. l don't
mean to disparage either of these gentlemen. ]
n ont hoff ho
still quite young man, who has not yet out
grown the red necktie period of juveniiity and
who, whatever latent ability he may possess, has
not got into that intellectual full bloom which
we expect to find in holder of this position,
while Mr.. Ashmead. etc. If he be q man of more
than common ability. is hampered by such
great degree OF mOdesty that he hides his light
under an absolutely impenetrable bushel That
It costs money and great deal of money I
need scarcely re-affirm when Mr. LabDuchere in
one Of his admirable 'Anecdotal Photographs"
declares that Baron Huddleston, ''after four
beatings and the expenditure as one calculates,
of round sum Of
TWENTY THOUSAND POUNDS,
at length found a borough to send him to parlia
ment in the conservative interest" So, it will
be seen that $25, 600 apiece is not regarded az a
great price over here for the privilege of being
whipped four times in attempting to get into
parliament. The Irish members are elected
without expanding 300 apiece. This comes of
the violent flow Of land league opinion among
their constituents. The most of these members
are not by any means rich, all of them are
young. and the majority support themselves as
journalists while they are studying law in Lon
don. Mr.. LabOuchere and Mr. Bradlaugh, who
represent Northampton, do not necessarily ex-
pend great amounts in securing their elections,
because their constituents have repeatedly
shown their determination to elect Mr.
Bfadlaugh upon the strength of his atheistic
doctrines, and every additional touch of Oppo-
sitiOn MAKES their determination the firmer.
The dogmatic members Of the house have thus
far succeeded in keeping Mr. Bradaugh out of
his seat, but Mr.. LabOuchere fights his battles
for him in the house, and supports him during
his electoral canvasses, without however 80
violently shading his own conduct as to justify
the slightest attempt to deprive himself Of the
rights as member Of parliament do not be-
lieve that Mr.. Labouchere has any more exalted
regard for the test oath than has Mr.. Bradlaugh;
but he. is far too shrewd to say 80, or to offer
any objection to taking all the oaths in the uni
verse. 1t is Mr.: Bradlaugh's design to destroy
the test oath by persistently showing his con-
tempt for 1t. He may succeed in this purpose,
for there Is very decided tendency In the
house to bring on LEGISLATION that will provi1a