The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-28
tETTER FROM LONDON.

speaks T. 7iSllSn go Wen. OF. cOrrC-
spondent was thus addressed by repre-
sentative OF the United Kingdom, as
our ladies Were separated from US to be
taken thr, ,ugh Parliament Buildings.
for il is a la W of the realm that no visit
ing ladies and gentlemen shall go to-
gether thro ugh this wonderful struc-
ture. The z, ,ntlemen CT the two parties
were thus left to pass away their time
as best they C, )uld, until their turn came.
But the EXPIRE ssion at the inception of
this communi cation we found a very
common impr' ession-that only in Eng
land was pure English spoken. Com
pa ing notes, after the gentlemen and
ladies of our petty came together again,
we Leaned that no lady is permitted to
enter the Houses OF Parliament, only I'M
der very extraordinary circumstances
even when they are chaperoned by a
member of the House. They can stand
on stool, and through a grated win
dow are permitted to look in, and, per-
chance, TO hear, if their hearing is acute,
| the voices of the noble lords; but a
| lady's dress has too many places for the
| concealnent of the deadly dynamite to
make it safe to allow them within its
! doors. Visiting gentlemen are permit
! ted a seat in the Mouse of Commons,
| and the privilege of listening TO debates
! al iibituns.
The contrast between the House of
| Commons in London and the House of
Representatives in the United States is
very marked. The members of the for
mer have no desks, but sit bolt upright
in straight-backed seats of the style of
the galleries CT the New England
churches of hundred years ago. An
ante-room Is provided with de SKIS,
should any member wish to make any
notes.
The Irish constabulaIy was the sub
iect of debate the few minutes we lis
tened, while many a member of our
public schools could speak with more
tiuency than did the member who had
the floor.
81 would just like to know how you
managed to get into the House of Par
lament" said a fellow-boarder at our
hotel. ~ labored for two weeks, and
had Government influence to second my
efforts, and did not succeed" We re-
piled, 1--WE went TO the American Ex-
change, advised them of our wishes, and
that we had but short time to stay in
London" Give this name to the po-
lie nan at the entrance, ut o'clock to-
morrow, and l will see what l can do
for you." We found our intercessor,
who snt in for a member of the House,
who came oue and was presented to us,
and who reported the names of the
ladies to the doorkeepers, and they were
admitted. he same methods Were pUr
sued through another member of the
House, by which the gentlemen were
admitted; the latter, as before stated,
being permitted to enter the House of
Commons, while the ladies were sepa-
rated by bars of iron. But the main
difficulty overcome-au introduction to
a member OF the House, and his written
order obtained-tEe visitor runs the
gauntlet of sixteen policemen, registers
his name and residence, and whore he
is stopping in the city, before he can
look upon the august assembly, or pnss
through the Parliament Buildings. In
the Capitol at Washington the most
obscure individual can pass through the
building without hindrance.
And here let me say word for the
American Exchange in Europe. To the
stranger the Exchange is almost indis-
peusable. An Office is found in almost
every city of prominence in Great Brit
ain and on the continent. At the Off
ces the traveller, with his letter of credit,
can get currency of any nation he wishes
TO visit, full information as to places OF
intel est, the most desirable routes, and
furnished with transportation, hotel
coupons, good for board at first class ho-
tells at minimum cost, guides and in
ter prefers, etc.
Through the aid of the Exchange, the
stranger whose time is limit ed, and
wishes TO cover considerable ground can.
by making known his general wants,
save twenty-five per cent. to thirty per
cent, and avoid TO n great extent the
impositions praeticed upon travellers, not
up to English or continental ways. As
an Illustration, in Liverpool, we had
dinner, lodging and breakfast. 4 bill
for three was presented for one pound,
nineteen shillings and siXpence. Our
hotel couI )ns which settled the b''l. cost
Us one pound, nine shillings and six
pence, ten shiuings, or 50. so saved by
the coupons procured of the American
Exchange. An Introduction by mem
Der of the Exchange is all-powerful in
opening to the visitor Ilaces difficult
of access.
In travelling on the trunk lines through
the United Kingdom, third class railway
carriages coI.'esI ond in comfort 10 the
ordinary coach in the Stat es eud cost but
little over half the first-clf IS Carriage
On the shorter routes the third-class
carriage IS not desirable, neither is il
desirable on the continent anywhere.
No checks are given for baggage; the
passenger must see his baggage put in
the car and he on hand to secure it at the
end of the journey. Unless it is regis
tered, for which a consideration is re-
quired, there is no responsibility by the
railway company if it is lost. If the
proper owner is not on hand to clam his
baggage there is nothing to prevent any
other person claiming it. Keep watch
over your baggage" s1id fellow trav-
eler, II have lost tbrs trunks in various
parts of the continent during the past
year, and no responsibility attaches TO
the railroad company"
1t seems little STANCE to an Amer