Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-07-08
IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

| ress beyOnd al exceeding nnmDef OF stone
steps. which are apt to exhaust his wind,
unless he knows where to find the eleya-
tors. He enters the building from any
| quarter, without challenge, and winds from
| pillar 10 post, and from floor TO floor, until
| he finds himself in the corridors of the gal
leries, from which he can step into the spa
ces reserved for the public, the seats thus
| act apart for his use afording accommoda-
ton for about 1000 visitors in the House OF
Representatives and 200 in the Senate.
Once inside he must take his hat off and
keep still. And when the days session is
over he can go down stairs and saunter in
upon tho floor, and sit in the Speakers
chair if he chooses, or strike up an acquaint-
ance with the members who linger aronnd,
or seek miscellaneous information from the
clerks and pages.
But we will suppose this person on his
travels and bringing up at night before the
gates of the houses of Parliament. There is
O rush of cabs all about him, streams of peo.
pie are going every way, and great glare
of light is flooding the night and illuminat-
ing the splendid structure and the Gothic
beauty of Westminster abbey opposite. The
visitor enjoys the scene few moments and
then steers for the principal entrance. He
encounters a policeman at once. Police
men are innumerable, omnipotent and vigi-
liant. Very likely they were noticing him
as he Vas standing in idle admiration on
the curbstone. They ask him what he
wants, and he says he wants to go in. Then
they explain in civil out short sentences
that he must find q member, must get a
pass from him, and must present it at par
ticular door at q particular time, and II,
after investigation by detectives, he is re-
ported to be an inohensive person, he can
then be admitted if there is room. Being
stranger, he doesn't know any member,
and certainly has no claim on any one. He
insinuates to the policeman that some slight
assistance would result in an interchange of
coin, but is told to stand aside, and ulti-
mately sinks off in the darkness, quite re-
lieved that he has escaped without arrest.
But perhaps the next day he finds some
one who knows friend who is acquainted
with member, and SO gradually lie works
up to au introduction. That is the first
step. The member is complaisant. and says
he will try. Then he gets the strangers
full name and address, and finally tells him
to 90 to the members entrance opposite the
rear of Henry Wis chapel in the abbey,
show card, and keep on till he gets TO the
| lobby of the house, where he will come out
and give him the pass.
At the>proper time he makes his appear
ance at the door. A group of policemen
and two or three overwhelming doorkeepers
in full dress defend it, but armed with his
credentials, he boldly makes known his er-
rand and is motioned in. The first barrier
is passed. He goes to the end of hall, and
| second group of police ask him his bust
IL l.. Nd an,
| through the great hall where the dyna
mite explosion occurred. Police are as plen-
tiful as hops, and the visitor is made aware
that his person is closely watched for pro
| tuberances. Now he is in the lobby, with
little assemblage offavored people who have
gotten as far as he has, and he gives his card
| to a magnificent doorkeeper and subsidies
| into line with others, all under the inspec-
| ton of the police. Pretty soon the member
| issues from closely guarded portals and
smiles and says he will try. And he does
| try. He walks rapidly off to some mysteri-
Gus part of the building, where the speaker
has an office, and in fifteen or twenty min
utes returns, bearing an order from the
speaker, on the members recommendation
and responsibility, for the strangers admis-
sion. So, following in his wake, he passes
the third Gordon, and is in an inner lobby,
where. if he tries to loiter to look about him
he is instantly pounced upon by policeman
and told to move on. He is shown door,
and, opening it, he begins the ascent OF q
| winding staircase, to find himself presently
before turnstile At this gate very grave
man sits with large open book, and behind
him two or three more policemen. The
very grave man hands the now thoroughly
cowed visitor a pen, and bids him write his
| r oll onA nationality
The pen is bad and sputters, the visitor for
gets street and number, and as he writes
United States he breaks out into cold per.
spiration under the stony glare of the police.
mems eyes, But, rather to his surprise, he
isn't arrested and now the last barrier is
passed, and another gorgeous doorkeeper
motions him to q seat in gallery about as
big as horse car, and less comfortable.
Nothing surprises an American visitor IN
the House of Commons more than the small
4 size of the chamber and it's limited ac-
commodations for both members and the
public. Alphabetically it is su.
nerb hall, and it's acoustic effects are
fine, but to American notions it IS entirely
inadequate in dimensions. 1t is smaller
moreover than analogous chambers, not
only in our own, but in most other countries
Tt is too small to seat the members on the
floor, though packed closely together with.
out desks or elbow room. And the gallery
space is contracted in the extreme. There
are in all FIVE galleries to- which visitor;
have access under more or less severe re-
strictions, and the FIVE accommodate alto
gether perhaps $50 persons. OF this, the
] three galleries for miscellaneous visitor:
hold sixty spectators. Then there is re
porter's gallery accommodating forty, and
latticed gallery for ladies holding Perhap