New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-12
THE HOUSE IN AUGUST.
LEGISLATION AND sPORT-ENGLISH AND
IRISH MEMBERS


10 London. yet somehow August remains August.
/ he most enthusiastic cockney will not venture
to say that London is not dull August is a |
sylonyme for what Mr. Gladstone would call the |
dea iness of West End life. ami no Parliament or |
Act of Parliament make it much otherwise. |
Nor IS it novel thing that the House should be |
sitting in August The worst thing is that it |
should be sitting IN the end of August. Ii has |
often happened especially of late years. that the |
session which began in February has prolonged |
itself close up to the Twelfth. When | say the |
Twelfth il is needless 20 add the month. There is
but one Twelfth and that is the day of the eighth |
month of the year, when 1t becomes lawful TO shoot
grouse. You no more express the month than you |
express the year when Won talk of the Tenth |
August N French history, or the Ninth Thermdor.
The rule is that as the summer wanes the House |
thins Ii you go down there at the end of Jnly or
later you give but beggarly account of empty
benches Then il 10 that the weary Mnsterialist |
wishes he were once in opposition 1t is the
duty Of the Government. which has to get through
its business and pass certain bills to keep House
rs it is called There must be- first. quorum;
not necessarily present in the House itselt but
scattered in the Library. the Smoking Room. the
Dining Room, or on the Terrace. somewhere with.
in the precincts of the Chamber ever within hear
ing of the division bells. and ever ready to avert
that summary process of arresting legislation
and above quorum. many more members as
suffice to give the Government n majority. Ihis Is
a shifting number. not fixed number like n
duorum which consists of forty members. 10 de-
ponds the force OF the opposition which happens
TO be present and the WhlpS are bouud 70 know
how large that is AMI to make provision accord
ingly; yes, aud to allow a good margin. Hlt TINS
Ministerial phalanx AMI the gucrillas OF the
Opposition together would hardly ill the front
/ D.,.,, hut erpl * n
il on either side do not know more depressing
spectacle than the House in such circumstances
Now the circumstances different and the
spectacle is different if you look IN ut the rght
time Men grumbled bitterly at having to come
back on the 10Th. but they came. or good many
of them did. There was very good muster on the
first night u hear Mr. Gladstone and-a much
greater novelty Lord Randolph Churchill in his
first appearance as Leader Of the House. Needless
to saw that Mr. Parners followers present IN
a BODY Mr. Parnell himself had been shooting
grouse in Ireland his own estate in Wicklow
| Mr. Harrington. VI. p. was with him. but whether
Mr. Edward Harrington who sits for West Kerry,
or Mr. Timothy Harrington. TO whom the Harbor
| Division of the City of Dublin has conhded Its
| Parliamentary interests am unable t. say. The
two are brothers Mr.. Edward is described in
bod as brother to Mr. Timothy, who Is secretary
to the irish National League, and he. being the
more considerable political parsonage OF the two
was perhaps Mr. Parnelps guest.
As have referred to bod whose Parlianen tary
companion is the inseparable companion of every
body who has the least concern in politics. Will
stop to make a remark on the biographies which
| bod publishes of the Irish members. They are
remark able many of them are, for their contempt
OF the pretensi to position visible IN so many or
the English lives. 1t is. a rule. the member him
sell who supplies to the editor OF this annual the
hi nbr T,rr ,f
any unknown English member, or better STILL some
English member whom you Know to have neither
| familv-in the English sense-Gor pO,ltIon. You
will find some such record a. this: -Smlth, John.
Eldest sou of the late John Smith. esq. OF StoKe
Pogs by bis wife Mary Ann. daughter OF the late
James Robinson ESQ, OF ClictOn-upOn->ea. Essex
Born at stoke Pogs, $50, educated at the private
school established by the hberalIty Of the cele
| brated Archbishop Virgins; engaged at an early
period of his life in mercantile pursuits; member
of the well-known firm Of Smith. Jones, Brown.
| Robinson Il Co.. formerly contractors t. Her
! Malestys Government; married. 1850. Sarah
| lane daughter Of William Brown, esq, of Weston
, Supermore member OF the Stoke Pogls Chamber
of Commerce lbs served IN the Blankshirc leo-
! manry; author OF Treatise o. the Drainage OF
! stoke Pogis; has been large benefactcf 20 the
schools of Stoke Pogis and has Interested himself
in the gu ,ston of the food supply OF the borough
| -
for the benefit of the working classes, and has
| visited the Continent with view OF obtaining
further information on this important subject
Conservative but in favor of Progress, and also of
Liberty viii uphold the rights of The Established
| Church. but is IN favor OF reducing the pay OF
bishops and distributing the surplus among deserv-
ino Minister'S Has sat for Stoke Pogis since Feb
ruary. 1se6."
Perhaps you think this a burlesque The names
are fictitious but tie particulars are COPIED trom
various genuine entries in bod. They capable
! of abridgment. The esQs." are imaginary. Smith
WAS sou of a small trades;nan went to charity
school from five TO seven then was errand boy III
the shop in which his mother sold candy, made "A
fortune in chocolate-drOps. once gave nve-pOu nd
note and fye-shlling Bible 10 bis school, took
shares in n fish market and subscribed to new
police station in Stoke POgs and 80 on There are
contrasts TO this elaborate nonsense-Mr Broad
hurst is who records with eNicent pride the
fact that he worked rs journeynan stonemason
and married the daughter of jOUrneynan currler.
But these contrasts are rare IN the English sec
ton and frequent in the Irish Mr.. Matthew
Harris. for example. declares himself quote
te, finally the son of Peter aid Ann Harris born
at Roscommon. educated at local schools married
1850 Mss Nora Bennett. Was originally work
ing brcklaycr and is now an architect, builder and
contractor. An advanced Nationalist. democratic
and social reformer" There is, | believe, much
more of the spirit Of democracy and the resulting
spirit of equality among Irish than among English
members. Mr.. Parnell is commonly spoken OF AS the
chief execution Not that be is less democratic in
political sense but holds social position differ
ent from that of the majority of his followers The
shooting is good eaough illustration of the
difference. There occasion two or three
wears -ago-a rather memorable one when some
English members had expressed their dislike at
being kept in London in August An Irish member
retorted that August no more to them than any
an ,Lay Aid NOT shoor Hut Mr.