, 1888-03-23
THE CANADIAN PARLIAMENT.
A Humorous Description of Its Opening.
A Solemn Ceremony.

n zen SfitIiOnSs
All the members were seated when we
were let in upon them. l recognized
some of the members. for l am not
ashamed to admit that l know n few of
them personally. a newspaper man
gets so hardened in time that he is not
ashamed to admit anything. 1t is no
part of my duty. of course, TO offer any
suggestions to the leader of the opposi-
ton, still l would like to say to him that
if he had fewer empty benches on his
side of the house he would have more
success in combating the measures of
the government.
We all sat in solemn silence, doing
nothing at all, something after the
fashion of .Congress, when suddenly there
came three solemn, measured raps at the
door. They could hardly be called n
They were much too dignified for that.
They were knocks, as if somebody struck
n very solid block of wood with n reason
ably heavy sledge hammer. A man
dressed in black, with a sort of regalia
over his shoulders, who had been sitting
quietly near the door, opposite the
speaker, here assumed n look of pleased
surprise, rose and threw open the doors.
He was much astonished to find there a
gorgeously dressed individual, and each
of them bowed TO the other ceremoni-
ously, and then the person who knocked
told him contidentially that he had some
thing very particular to say to the
spcdi er. The first gentleman with the
collar aid he would see about it. and
then advanced and bowed to the speaker
and t)ld him that a messenger from the
governor general was at the door and
wanted to know what he was going to
do about it. The speaker, instead of
ordering him to be fired out, as he prob
ably would have done if l had raped in
such a startling way, requested the man
with the collar to tell the other gentle
man to advance and give the counter
sigl and speak his mind.
1le messenger bowed civilly when he
rec wed the speakers permission to adj
vut.c @ and then came on. D. it were, by
ins .llments. A press man told me he
wa the Black Rod. The Black Rod took
a .Iple of steps forward, bowed very
low then took "A few more steps and
bowed again. Finding that nobody
TIN " anything at him he apparently
gal I'd courage, made n third advance
n third bow and spoke. He said
thal The governor general required the
imi iediate attendance of the speaker,
tho members of the house and myself in
tho -cnate chamber. He repeated this
m Sage in French for my benefit, which
l t'E TO assure him was n needless
tire iblc. rs | understand English quite as
We asl do other languages, and thcn
re'rrated backward rs gracefully MS he
Ina advanced, bowling three times.
zen we ali made n break for the
sca te chamber. 1t was Il circus coming
do that narrow stairway. | missed
ia Inst stepin the dark, and took nearly
Tn" ntire press of Canada as | tobog-
gar cl to the bottom. The honorable
mo tiers of The commons are graciously
all Yed to stand in the senate chamber.
pa I'd like sardines, while the message
isrt,d. There is a resplendent throng at
tie other end Of the large room, and
IN r n unset canopy the governor
gef ral sat with his uniform on and a
COO d hat on his head. This hat was
no ramovcd except Tor n brief moment
vi he addressed the gentlemen of the
SCI. - and the commons. The chairs of
Tho mate were filled with the ladies
of lie aristocracy in evening dress,
TOT - rs handsome, and, no doubt, as
cN. nsive, rs one would see on a similar
OCt ion in London. In the large and
ro" ny galleries were the ladies of the
"'Iocracy, not quite so extensively
dr ed, but every bit as good looking
bi EN-.
% governor read his message first in
E !.sh and her in French. When he
h",. finished the company rose and began
sh. ing hands with each other. And
tn is how Lord Landsdowne and my
sc. npened the first session of parliament
fc The year 1888. Luke Sharp in De
tn Free Press.