Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-03
PaFEitl1G e1ltGrU MaAlJlels.
IIondon Times. |

There was a time when manners were
very bad in the English parliament, but
this was when parliment had not yet es-
tablished its supremacy, and it is worth
remarking that manners improved from
the time when parliament grew supreme,
and when it came to be recognized that
this supremacy could only be maintained
if on many great questions both parties
acted in concert. Pepys, writing on the
10Th of December 1866, describes queer
scene which he witnessed in the house of
lords: "My Lord Buckingham leaning
rudely over my Lord Marquis Dorchester,
my Lord Dorchester rem owed his elbow
The duke asked whether he was uneasy.
Dorchester replied yes, and that the duke
burst not do this If he were anywhere else.
Buckingham replied yes he would,
and that he were better man
than himself: Dorchester said that he lyed.
With this Buckingham struck off his hat,
took him by his periwigg. and pulled 1t
aside and held him" There is nothing so
bad as this in the parliamentary annals of
the Georgian era. Chatham is said to have
been morefeared than any orator OF his time,
but his invective was carefully measured.
Speaking of Newcastle, then prime minis
ter, he once asked whether parliament sat
only to register the edicts of one too pow
erfuI subject? Hereupon Newcastle is re-
ported to have been frightened almost out
of his wits. But this was fair fighting.
There was no impUGation on Chatham's
part of ignoble motives; he simply ac-
cused his adversary of the splendid sin of
ambition.
Our parliamentary history a6ounds
with encounters of this sort, in which the
thrusts delivered, whether in earnest or in
Jest, were often hard, but always bestowed
according to fair rules, and with an ab-
ssnce of that implacabIe animus which
leaves combatants enemies when the fight
is over. Everybody knows the story OF
Sir Robert Walpole having a dispute with
Pulteney about a quotation from Horace.
The minister bet guinea that his own
version was right; a ''Horace" was sent
for, and Sir Robert, proving to be in the
wrong, threw down a guinea, which PCl-
teney pocketed with the remark that It
was the only money ever paid by the min
lister which member could accept with
out shame. The words were not in the
best taste, perhaps, but how English
the whole scene was and
how suggestive Of good-humored sparring
with the gloves on! MingIing with the
chronicles of parliamentary jousts, how
ever, are many stories Of downright kind
ness and chiyaIry in debate, upon which
students of parliamentary history must
always dwell with sincere pleasure. Com
ing to recent times, nothing could have
been better than Mr. Disraeli's panegyric
on Golden after the latter's death, or than
Mr.. Gladstone's references in Parliament
to the death of Lady Beaconsfeld. On
this occasion the liberal leader quoted the
words ''sunt lacryme rerum, ct mentem
mortalia tangunt," which Fox had also
quoted in 1906, during Pitts last illness,
refusing at the same time Though
unaware that his great rival was actually
dying) to support an amendment to the
address which was going to be moved by
Lord Henry Petty Mr.DisraeH was not
long in repaying Mr.. Gladstone's generous
tribute of respect, for he alluded to him
as ''the most eminent member of this
Eouse;' and the same compliment was
paid On another occasion to the present
premier by the present Lord Derby, then
Lord Stanley, who said that, son whatever
points they might differ, every one would
acknowledge the right honorable gentle
man to be one of the greatest orators
England had produced