Daily Yellowstone journal., 1884-11-16
the HOUSE or COMMONS.
The System Of QuestieninG Miusssers
AS Noisy ~ ScheolsDoys.
~ .tA.


london Letter.!
The system Of questioning minister
grows naturally out Of ministerial
form of government, and its usefulnes,
under such government is not t.
be doubted any more than the principle
of free speech. But as il is carried OF
in the house of commons, il must Otter
seem quite rs worthy of satire as tn,
practice in congress OF reading Ion,
spec chcs, TO which no one listens, which
is one of the many disagreeablc cOnse
quences of free speech.
The questions for the day are printed
and distributed As the speaker call,
upon the member who has given motto,
of a question. the latter rises, remove,
his hat and reads his question, which
has been printed IN all the newspaper,
already. and which every one in the
house Ia, probably read in the ofiicia
document before he arose Then h,
sits down aud resumes his haiti
being the habit of the Brton 10 wear hi,
hat in many places where a sense 81
comfort, 10 say the least, would be en-
pected 10 induce him to take il off -s,lcl
rs in not only the house. but in estau
rants, the cheaper parts of theatres. etc.
Then the member Of the government
whose department is Interested rises.
and. usually, reads carefully prepared
answer. Then he resumes his seat
Then another qucsiioner reads his aues
ton, and another minister or his repre-,
sentative reads his answer.
This process of bobbing up and bob
bling down goes ON, on alternate sides
of the holisc. for long time. The
questions are, of course, usually AT.
tcmpts Oh the part Of the opposition 10
make points at the expense of the
government. and the answers are
attempt, 10 turn the points" of the
other side and make some for the
government. The questions arr blandly
insinuaiing. or ingenious Ia u sur
prising degree The answers arr
guarded, and hrdged about with r.ser-
yations.
The questions ara often amusing Ia
the American. who Is not accustomed Ia
seeing the national legislature taking
care of multitude of local matters: l.
IL true that the grass in certain Lon
den park is very much neglected. and il
80. will the government say why: is it
true that publ" school pupil died the
other day in Ireland from the effects Of
oyer-study: what are the religious aii;li.
a,lons of certain newly appointed con
stables. etc.
This order Of business of course gives
a great opportunity for pushing men To
force their names into prominent places
N the parliamentary reports. A young
man with plenty of assurance. like Mr..
.hrhmead- Bartlett for example. can by
dint of continually putting questions
without caring whether they have much
point or not, win an easy notU ely. II
is said that this particular young man
is favorile speaker at public meetings
in the country because conservative con-
stituencies have AN impression from the
newspaper. that he is continually Civ
ing ii 10 Gladstone.
In spite of its being an old story in
hooks and newspapers, it is interesting
TO watch the behavior of the house of
commons. If these gentlemen should
meet outside Of the house, they would
no doubt treat each other with scrtlpu.
lous pOliteness, but here they jeer and
grOwl al each other like school. bows.
The opposition member reads his qucs.
iion, or makes his speech with
its strong opposition flavor. aud
there is confused gabble from
the government benches of 20. ~"
Hear. hear. and derisiye laughs. The
government makes its answer. and then
there is a similar chorus from the oppo.
sition side, while the government mem
hers swell the noise with various sound,
intended to convey approval that are
grouped in the reports under the single
head of cheers" To one accustomed
TO the gravity. aud. as rule. the great
decorum Of American legislative bodies.
this child's play seems curious.