New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-08-30
PAR LIAMENTARY LIFE.
on.puYc SKETCHES OF THE HOUSE OF
COMMONS.

sell & Co. ...o.oo.a "a me-
Ho,r the obseryatioDsupon any nat'ona
'a,at;,a body Of trained journalist faniiiai
, shs o,rsonpd of tie chambers, Thoroughly con-
800 concerning the significance of current pom
s, ,ocslation and fresh from the daily S'uuS
81 sho events he is to chronicle Given suineie,.n
Icon and discriminating capacities, ana ta'
90 oooscientiousness which IS the best pro'oS'.DN
acainst bias and exaggeration, and TINS KIM VI -
,or,ers cannot fail to produce invaiuaDio nv. 10
anda for history; memoranda much "oiv
.usted than the conclusions drawn run JIM
;mnerfect data long after tie event. w ~
- sor,,rlonsnass cannot compensate LOT .i'on
Extraordinarily with the contemporary eh'ii'"
ment of that which they are TO recount -
Jyhon 20 tbe possession of such powers OF
.,on and discrimination as faithful reportins
o,;res ia added graceful style anu pi'snV "a
o,;ol 1vit the results ought to DC remarkao'c "'1
e,cb are the by 10 means common qua"noa',o,u'
hrouobt 10 his work by Mr. Lucy. Ana tne DUN -
,,f,ished IL unIoue. The title is rather repei-
Iapt-suggesting dry and unlnterestine pV' 80,
statistics. But the book really is dehght1ui Ho"
,or;nning 70 end and it can be said without exag-
rsrot,on that it has not dull page. The author las
. rore talent for sketching portraits. and WIN
Co... hold lines making great scenes clear anu Gnu
,ho+ic HIS parliamentary descriptions are oe'
,;1odIy the hest extant, whether OF men OF man
80, The decorum of the House rules, moreover
seams 20 have been absorbed by INN, anu e'0n
his strongest expressions appear to nave oeen SUI
,n;ttea 10 the local test whether they would pass
Mr.. Speaker. n,uuoou Par.
The nresent volume deals with the Disraeh faf-
uo,oort from 1874 TO 1880. All the sketches were
written Immediately after the incidents 10 whion
thor refer and were published ia London Journals
80 tbe t,ne. But they are so well done tha'
thew retain all their freshness. and they IT.
call the striking episodes OF the Non-
servatiye ascendepoy most powerfully WIZ"
many of the members described, as, Ior III
stance. Major OGorman, the Admiral blggar'
Forster Sir Stafford Northcote, and severai o,hels'
+be reader reaches the same sort Of personal ac-
ouaintance and interest as attaches 10 'he
te,s in well-written novel, The opportunities
Cor advantageous citation are frequent as to en-
borrass the reviewer, and 1t must be understood
that those which are here given are not selected as
the hest hut are taken almost at random
Here is n droll fragment on Sabbatarian debate:
In the House of Commons p. A. Taylor introduced
n resolution for the opening OF museums nDraIles
and similar institutions on snnGaysi nsa 10 LAY" re-
sneeeh. which kept together large House, no 10
Syovve1 fine arguments it had been the custom 10 OPP
nose to the movement and, referring TO the manner
in which hostile petitions were gJt up IN the snh
nee hserYed But Won know, religious people are
so unserupulous, as rule" great deal OF alnuse-
ment WAS excited by his dramatic reaalng Oh the
renort of a recent meeting of Scotch elders, wneh
the question under discussion was whether Walk
inc ON tbe Sunday was practice worthy OF the
seal OF their approval lhe Honse WIS, III p
TO his class by clergyman, touching niue ny ny
who broke the Sabbath by eating loliypops. Inc Inc
lollypops stuck IN the little boys throab anu
choked him. so that be died.
Newdogate had moved a resolution OF inquiry
into monastic and conventual institutions IN 0reat
Britain. This inevitably brought ont the lrlsh
members. and among them Major OGorman, Fall
stafian officer of admirable integrity but imperfect
administrative faculties Enter the Major to an
expectant audiences:
Asusual Major O'Gorman stood silent for few
secOnds and abruptly began with thunder-tohed
Sir He was not long III informing the III
was utterly opposed altogether 10 nhe HppoInl (,
me1t of these Royal Commissioners y and why
lie would tell them why. Surprising one OF THESE
ROYAL commissioners went to q convent and sum
moned thunderously at the door. Inc door ooens,
a lady appears. and the commissioner ASKS nef
wne1 Sn1 s be' would reply wi tell you Ny SIRE
sir was king; my mother was the daughter OF the
sixth James of Scotland. aud the frst James on
England. His mother. sir, was Queen Regent OF
Rnt here the House-whlch had begun 10
laugh when the Major deepenng ms tones 10 repre-
lost the somewhat intricate thread of relationship
in which the allegorcal num- Questioned by Royal
Commissioner supposed to have been appointed
under NeWdegafSs auspices, had become involved.
Matters got worse rs OGoTInan, stu preserving the
character of the num- an idea to which MS COLOSSAL
figure and tremendous voice lent special enect pro-
ceeded:
.sir. had brother" The brother having like
either tine nuns father or mother-t was not clear
which-been murdered" the Major took fresh
breath and continued, in protounder tones:
Sir | have a sister" IL was come minutes De-
fore the roar of laughter which this fresh clrcun-
stance i'm the nuns family history awoke had 80 Tar
snbsded as to afford an opportunity for the Major
10 continue. When 1t came the climax Oh the scene
was reached. "
The laughter now grew uncomfortable, and 1t was
almost in dumbshow that he brought the allegory
to conclusion But even the gestures were clio;
ouent, as, with hands clasped and held up toward
the roof, he gave highly dramatic representation
OF the wicked Royal Commissioner who, having
first fed from the presence Of the nun, an nd
ashes prayed to the immortal gods for pardon:
aAnd" said the Major, fervently. as he dropped
down in his seat, hope he may obtain IT."
After this there was OF course no more speaking
aud, the House dividing Newdegatos resolution
was rejected by 237 votes against "a.
When the Major got " on the rampage" and fig
ured as an Obstructionst, dividing the House on
every possible OCCASION the scenes were very
funny and the description of them is extremely
racy, though unfortunately too long for quotation
Here is a sketch of the way members salute the
Char:
Always FIVE or ten minutes before the beginning
OF public business Disraeli comes walking slowly
down tho House, making obeisance to the ChaiI
with 10 WY dignity he reaches the corner of the
table. Among his .many claims 20 Parliamentary
IS pre-eminence, it must be recorded that man
enters the House of Commons with such easy con-
fdence, yet with such reverential bearing. as the
Premier. The duty OF bowling TO the Chair on en-
tering and leaving is curiously painful ordeal to
most members. Some furtiyely escape the dith
Guilty by not bowling at all, hoping that in the
make an ungracious nod and Others hurredly and
blushingly accomplish awkward curvature OF
the senatorial backbone.
One of tho funniest entrances i know Is that OF
Rathbone. He has curious habit of holding his
hat loosely by the ultimate half.inch of the brlm
with his hand pressed close against his BODY, the
bat being thus brought almost in direct line under
his chin. He walks straight mp the House with be
eyes anxiously fixed on the Speaker, and when he
reaches a certain place, evidently determined by