New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-07-26
THE HOUSE OF LORDS.
IDDESLEIGH - SALISBURY - CARNARvON =
ROTHSCHILD.

LONDON, July IL.
The ceremony of introducing freshly made Peer
to the House of Lords u.s. in ordinary cases. slightly
comic The red robes which his new lordship wears
are gorgeous and historically correct; yet thev
seem to have been lent for tho occasion by Mr.
D'Oyley Carte and they suggest lolanthe and tho
Savoy Theatre. You look twice to mako sure
whether tho tenant of the woolsack Is tho real Lord
Chancellor or Mr.. George Grossmith The
supporters of the novice there are two of them
have been irreverently likened to tho tame
elephants which coax the wild elephant into
captivity. Tho business is. however. done rapidly
The oath is administered with speed and
precision worthy of tho New-York Custom House.
l happened to SEQ the new Earl of Iddcsleigh ana
his two tame friends leave tho House and walk
through the Princes Chamber after they had gone
through this little piece OF pageantry-l had all
but written pantOmime. The two tame frienas
were Earl Beauchamp and the Earl OF Devon
They were all on their way to the dsrobing room,
and very glad they looked to have the business
over.
OF the pride you might have expected to sec In
Lord Iddesleigh's port there was nonc In the
circumstances. pride Is not ithe feeling likely to be
uppermost. He was there by no will Of his own
but by the will of a much more wilful. man, Lord
Randolph Churchill. His robes were perplexity
if not distress to him. His look was appearing
and seemed to deprccate the curiosity WHICH
attended his retreat. He would have liked 10
escape unobseIved. little later saw him IN the
House itself. There no sat on the Front Bench
between Lord Salisbury and the Duke Of Richmond
It was an unusually full house. The new Prime
Minister was to make his statement. and something
In tho nature of dress debate was expected. Inc
Prince of Wales sat in his customary corner on the
At L., kho nuly ofr m hrid
Pceresses crowded the gallery the steps of the
throne were not less crowded. II ..there was any
part of the chamber which looked empty 1t was the
quarter where the Liberal peers sit; there are not
enough of them to fill the seats TO which they are
entitled
Amid all the brillinncy and animation OF TINS
scene the figure of the new Lord Iddesleigh was
pathetic lie was i'll at ease, detected. and
thought aged. The Sir Stafford Ncrthcote who has
so long been familiar parsonage In tho other
House never. perhaps. gave the behoder the
impression OF buoyant energy In his bcst days MS
mace was n little slow; he seemed to wake up
reluctantly from tho repose which Is permitted 70
the august occupants of tho seats either side the
table His reposc will now DO much less OFTEN
disturbed He seemed aware Of this and had
settled himself as for long nap There was some
thing too of tina: same desire OF escaping notice
which had seen as he stole through the Princes
Chamber He wore his hat far down over his eyes !;
from the gallery where sat hardly anything OF his
face was visible only the tilted beaver ana inc
long yellowish-gray beard with bit OF nose IN
between IL was the first time the bold man had
covered himself in this gilded chamber thronged
with men bearing half the most ancient names and
greatest titles in England An American present
TO whom all this was novel. asked Lord Is. why the
d. liant hair huta fheir head because
they have nowhere else to put them" was the
prompt answer Lord Iddcslcigh's head was dowl
between his shoulders: tho yeowish-gray beard
showed white against the black coat; ths chest
was hollow; the hands lay loose and Hat on the
increased legs. As he cautiously turned his head
and seemed to he inspecting his new abode and the
possessors Of IT, his air that Of man in doubt
whether he mi ght not be thought IN intruder. Ho
seemed to say 10 the Peers: Pray excuse melt IL
not my fault. 1 would not have come hero II
could have helped IT," His hat sat As uneasily on
his brow as il it had been coronet. At moments
he was not lite he might not have forgotten
to put of that baubIe; his hand wandered tmidly
to the hard brim TO make sure. When he had con-
WINGED himself that no part Of Mr.. DOyley Cartes
costume chung to him, there came over his face an
exprcssion OF relief and once more he rclapsed into
limp immobility.
The melancholy OF Lord Iddeslcigh was the more
marked by contrast with the demesnor OF his
neighbor and chief. Lord Salisbury. Nobody will
ever accuse Lord Salisbury Of timidty OF manner.
He has been Prime Minister but q few days. yet his
bearing Is that Of q man who has ruled an empire
with ease from his youth upward Almost alone
among the two OF three hundred noLlcs present. he
sits bare headed. The afternoon sun streams down
through the painted glass and falls In many hnes
Thaf 10 abAa1 IN
broad at tho base. narrowing as II rises, q little
bald at the crown of the arch. the long black hair
toachcd with gray. II is odd that nobody should
ever have remarked his resemblance to the common
prints of Shakespeare The face is wider. the jaw
stronger, but the general contours Of the two are
very like There Is no mstaking the power Of this
countenance The dark eyes send out flashes from
beneath the Jutting brow. The only other light
that comes from the austere features Is the smile
which, though humorous nov and then. is always
cynical The mouth tells you little or nothing
from behind It's screen Of thick mustache and
beard. He Is o big man. deep-chested. OF good
stature, a trine round shouldored The head is set
too far forward; stoop makes 1t look still further.
and tho arms hang away from the body. He is in
black, and his frock coat. sOuchipg In fit and
unbuttoned, helps to give hin o clerical look.
never saw Lord Salisbury heard him speak
without beng reminded of tho pulpit. His power
full, resonant but not very deep voice has none too
much acx blity of tone His delivery Is measured,
his gesture seldom expressive.
To-day moro than ever he chooses his words, and
shades off phrases that begin rs If they were meant
to be abrupt He knows very well that all Europe
Ia listening, and that every sentence will DO studied
In every chancery of tho Continent. l think it
must DO said that his speaking is less effective as
Minister than as q leader of tho Opposition. He is
by nature and temperament o critic; likes attack
bettcr than defence; delights in invectvo. under
stands 1t, and Is. on tho whole. the greatest master
of It among the public speakers of tho day. He
puts restraint on himself which is obvious as he
says that his present business 10 not to find fault
with the way in which things have lately been
managed abroad hut to accept thc,conditions pro-