New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-09-21
JOTTINGS IN LONDON.
NOTES HERE AND THERE.


LONDON. August :.
4 visit a. the House of Commons one day when
there was rather more plentiful crop shan usual
OF questions" To- The Government inspired some r"-
Elections as TO what the result might have been if
Senator pcnl.ctous p,.n for allowing Cabinet
officers tAc right oi debate .u our House of Repre-
sentltiFe- bad carried. The idea has bad uo Little
approval from many Who saw tAe possible aWk-
Warducss of having Government policy defended
by men who were not engaged n carrying D. ont.
Eut the right % speak would. apparently. involve
the necessity of meeting challenges. and Cabinet
Minister who defended himself or asserted roiicy
cpn.d hardly avoid meeting his enemies when they
summoned him 10 the combat john sherman
might have found 10 uconyeuieut 90 bee continually
narged.' while he WAS engaged u the resumption
work. by Bland and Buckucr and others OF our
w.ld-cyed statesmen. or To 20 further back. Mr.
Chase mi-ht have been hndercl rather than
helped. i'm his task of keeping the Treasury full for
the war. ii he had been busy answering Importncnt
ana trivial questions from % faction, opposition.
The change would involve others. The oycrworked
Secretaries of the great departments could hardly
add the labor of even occasional debates to all their
present duties of administration.
Tie system OF questioning Ministers grows
naturally ont off Ministerial form of government.
and 10 usefulness under such Government is not
go Doe Doubted any more than the principle of free
speech But as o. is carried ON n the House of Com
mons. 1t must often seem quite "a worthy Of satire
as the practice iu Congress of reading long speeches
to which no one listens. which Is one of the many
dsagrccable consequences of free speech ON the
day u question 10 certainly looked like "a labored
and pcrunctory method Of elciting information.
consuming % great deal Of time for q small product
of useful knowledge. The questions for the day ara
printed and distributed. As thc speaker call. upon
the member who has given notice of % question tho
latter rises. removes hs hat and roads bis question.
which has been printed n all the newspapers
already and which every one 900 tho House has
probably read in the Official document before ho
arose. Then De- -it, down and resumes his hat -lt
being the habit of the Brton to wear h hlt in many
places where % sense of comfort 10 say the least,
would De- expected % induce him 20 take 70 oi-such
as go NOT only the House. but u restaurants the
cheaper parts of theatre, ctc. Then Che member OF
the Government whose department Is Interested
rises, and usually. reads % carefully prepared
answer Then he resumes his seat Then another
questioner reads his question. and another Minister
or his representative reads MS answer. That day
Mr. Gladstone was the only Minister who did not
read his answers, except, of course, Dir. tawcett
the blind Postmaster General. This process of
bobbiug up and bobbug down goes on, on alternate
sides of the House for a long time. The questions
are, Of course usually attempts on the part Of the
Opposition 70 make points at the expense OF the
Government and the answers are attempts TO turn
the points of tie other side and make some for
the Government. The questions are blandy in
sinuatng. or ingenious 10 a surprising degree. The
answers are guarded. and hedged about with reser-
vations. The questions often amusing to the
American who is not accustomed TO seeing the Ma
tional LEGISLATURE taking care of multitude of
local matters l. 10 true that the grass IN certain
London park is very much neglected, and n so,
Will the Government say why; Us 10 true that
public school pupil died the other day ID Ireland
from the effects of oyersrudy; what are the reIlg-
GUS affiliations 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 ln the Parliamentary
reports. 4 young man with plenty OF assurance
like Mr. Ashmead- Bartlett for example, can by
dint of continually putting questions. without
caring whether they have much pout or not win
am easy uotoriety. L. Is SAID that this particular
young man Is a tay0rre speaker al public meetings
In the country because Conservative constituencies
have an impression from tine ucwspaper, that hc is
continually giving it 90 Gladstone
Nm spite of it. being au oil story boo books and
newspapers. 10 s interesting to watch the behavior
off the House ot Commons. II these gentlemen
should meet outside oi tine House r.cF would uo
doubt treat each other With -.rupu.ou- p"ltru'--.
uut here they Ieer aut T'"l at each other li'e
.rlo0-loys Tine Opposition member reads DIS
,r..-. on. or makes l- speech with los strong Opp
position flavor ami there . 70 confused gl1b.r From
the Government ucncl.- of ~O. O'' " HEAR
lrIr." au.. dcr.-tc uu...t IHe|Dr"rrm.nt m'h'o
it. answer and then There '- -.u .r Chorus from
Oboe Opposition -.r. H.I.. 'OD Government ""In'''-
swell tlruY.c v.ti tlruu. -oul I- intended q" cone
D.. . .I y I