Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-01-03
THE HOUSE or COMMONS.
The Late President GarfieId,s Visit
to the British Parliament.

the late President Garfelds diary of his
trip to Europe in 1857 One of his visits
to parliament, when he was witness to
notable debate, is described as follows:
"When member read petition of four
thousand citizens of Birmingham in ia
vor of Lord Cairns amendment to third
vote in tripartite constituencies, Bright
followed with monster petition on the
other side. Then followed a volley of
questions fired at the administration
from all sides, and their responses. Dis
raeli sat passionless and motionless, ex-
cept trotting Of the foot, indicative of
high pitch of intellectual activity and
expectancy. His face reveals nothing.
The most pointed illusions, either of
logic, fact, or wit, fail to move muscle
or change line of the expression.
cat 5, the reform bill is annouycsd,
and all sounds subside in the crowded
hall-so full that several members sit in
the gallery. Disraeli, in very calm,
somewhat halting way, goes over tue
chief points of the lords amendments,
puts them very adroitly, and in very
conciliatory tone speaks about twenty
minutes. Meanwhile, Bright has been
sitting on the second row, and next the
gangway, taking note now and then,
manifesting a little nervousness in the
hands and fingers, and occasionally pass
ing his hand over his ample forehead
Mill is settled down in his seat, with his
chin resting in the palm of his hand. and
giving close attention, as he does to
everything that passes. By the
way, his face greatly disappoints
me in one respect; there is nothing
of the Jovine breadth and fullness
of brow expect; but there is a great
depth from brow to cerebellum, and
strong, well-defined features There is a
nervous twitching of the muscles of the
head and face, which probably results
from hard work Gladstone rises and
opens the debate on the opposition side,
In an adroit speech of eight minutes,
evidently reserving himself for fuller
assault later in the evening. He is the
most English speaker have yet heard,
and the best. Disraeli shows great tact
in determining how far to persist and
when to yield. In that essential point
OF leadership, Palmerston has probably
never been excelled. Disraei is no mean
disciple of his. Gladstone, with more
ability than either, is said to be espec-
tally lacking in that respect.
"After several more amendments have
been given up with apparent reluctance,
but for the sake of harmony, the amend
ment of Lord Cairns is reached, on
which the ministry intend to make a
stubborn fight. Bright opens the attack
in speech of half an hour or more.
Though cordially disliked by the tories,
he compels attention at once With
form like that of Senator Wilson, of
Massachusetts, he has large, round,
null, fine, massive head, and straight, al
most delicate nose. He has full, rotund
voice, and, like Gladstone, is un-English
in his style-that is, he speaks right on,
with but little of that distressful hob
bling which marks the mass of parliamen-
tary speakers. With allmy sympathy with
Bright and the liberals, am inclined to
favor the amendment 1 remember
Mill's discussion of it in his Represen-
tative Government and his approving
reference to the work of Hare on the
same subject Bright put the case very
strongly on his side, and pointed out the
anomalies it would produce; but l
thought they would result from the lin
tied application Of the principle rather
than from the principle itself l also
thought it little inconsistent in him,
who has been so bold an advocate for
change, to object to this as an innoya-
ton. But he put his case very strongly,
and made us sympathize with his earn
estness. Many speeches were leveled at
him; like all politicians, he seems to
have become pachydern, and paid no
attention to it. Howmuchsoever they
may affect to despise him, they cannot
blink the fact, which even the Times
admitted this morning in mean attack
on him, that John Bright was the most
skillful speaker in England, and, in
some kinds of oratory, the first orator
II notice that many of the leaders were
high honor men at the universities. Glad
stone took 'double-frst;' Roundelt Pal
mer took first in classics, and many
other classic honors and prizes. Mill is
not university man, but his Logic has
been textbook at Oxford for twenty
years. Tom Hughes, who made Rugby
and himself immortal, was not first-class
scholar. Forster is a good speaker and a
radical, but | do not know what his
scolarship was
cat 10, Gladstone rose and spoke for
nearly an hour, going ginto the whole ques-
ton with great clearnessand incisive force.
He spoke with much more feeling than
any other except Bright. Gladstone was
followed by Lowe, who is considered the
strongest man Of his school in the house.
He sits on the opposition side; but on
this question Of suffrage is conserva-
tive. He is nearly blind, and spoke
without notes and with his eyes appar-
emily shut. He combines sharpness with
remarkable toughness of intellectual
fiber, which makes him a powerful as
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