The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-02-13
THE LADIES' GALLERY.
Member Of the House Of Commons Suggests
Change In Favor Of the Fair Sex.

A Member Of the House Of Commons Suggest,
Change in Favor of the Fair Sex.
Ladies who attend the debates in the
house of commons have much reason
to feel grateful to Mr.. S. Buxton, who
has given notice of his intention to
call attention, on the civil service esti-
mates next year, to the state of the
ladies gallery, and to move ''that it is
advisable to substitute for the present
grating railing so constructed as not
to exclude sound, light, and air. "
The announcement was greeted with
cheers and laughter, and doubtless it
was with some difficulty that the
ladies present refrained from Joining
in the former expression of feeling.
Should Mr.. Buxton's motion result in
the Improvement of the "cage" in the
respects mentioned, his name will be
mentioned with blessings for many a
future session by these ladies who
take an interest in politics. AS at
present constructed, the ladies' gallery
offers only the most tantalizing oppor-
tunities for those who wish to hear and
see what is going on below. Those
who are fortunate enough to secure
seats in the front row can manage, by
leaning so far forward as to rest their
foreheads against the grating, to see
the prime minister and those who sit
beside and opposite him. The speaker
is invisible and, having his back turn
ed to the cage; quite inaudible. Some
few of the members are sufficiently
endowed by nature in the matter of
voice or sufficiently trained in the
school of elocution to be heard even in
the remOteSt recesses of this most
gloomy gallery. These are but the ex-
ceptions, and, so long as they con-
tinue to speak, the ladies in the cage
sigh of relief to the normal attitude of
those who sit on chairs with backs to
them. When, however, those are in
possession of the ear of the house who
mutter, or humble, or swallow their
words whose voices sound as though
emerging from the depths of hollow
cask : who speaks in thin, thready
treble or whose leonine roar
rouses the latent echoes, and
in them browns itself, then the
attitudes of the captives behind the
grating represent every variety of con-
tortion in the struggle to hear. A
row of ears may be observed in the
dim light laid almost against the trel-
lis work. Hands are raised so as to
form sort of sounding-board. The
unhappy persons in the background |
stand up and lean forward, their brows
ouckered with the strain upon their |
attention. These, it must be remem-
oered, can see only about half the |
louse; and no one, until he has tried
t for himself, can realize how much
he sight of speaker helps his audi
nee to hear what he says. 1t is tan
alizing thing to hear roar of laugh
er or storm of "Hyah. hyah" (for
hat is how the majority of the men,
'ers cry ''Hear, hear'O, and to have
o ask ones neighbor, in helpless
whisper. what it is about. And again,
yhen a question is referred to the
peaker, and the whole house is hang
ng upon his words, it is highly ex-
sperating to hear but muffled MUIR
lur proceed from the chair, and to
ave to guess gropingly, from what
blows, the purport of that murmur
is like watching play from the
'ings instead of the auditorium, and
lose who have sat out a debate IN the
dies gallery open their newspapers
lie next morning with as lively an in
'rest and curiosity as though they had
OF been present at it.
The want of ventilation is another ,
EN- in the discomfort of the cage, and ,
le that will be difficult to rectify. {
he heated air of the house ascends to !
e gilded grille, enters there, and I
Ids no means of egress but one small {
'or. But if Mr.. Buxton should sue !
ed in his gallant endeavor to enable /
Q ladies to see and hear the perform O
ice on the boards of the st. Stephens t
tragedy, comedy, or farce, as it may v
they will regard with indiffer- q
ce the trifling detail of few cubic y
1T of air, more or less. for their lung r
nsumption. The only difficulty that {,
II remain to be grappled with will be h
g providing of sufficient number of a
ats, so great will be the demand for g
sm under the new order of things. a
rhaps the princess of Wales would Il
aciously permit her own gallery to IL
used, save on those special nights, cl
few in number, when she graces it w
III her own royal and beautiful pres -
,e.-London NeioS.