Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-08-28

Sir Frederick has an important bill COM
ing on In the evening, and wishes to hear
the debate. He goes down early, and
sends US tickets for the speakers gallery,
to which one gains admittance only by a
card from Mr.. Peel. We climb many
steps, and a benign elderly person in knee
breeches and a great gold insignia of of
fee shows Us In to a grated cage that looks
down over the house. which is quite full.
At one side of US. bit lower is the ladies
gallery, grated like our own. | wonder if
they fear we will get into mischief that
they cage Us up like monkeys? We are
directly over the speaker, and see only the
canopy of his chair, the curly white wigs
of his three clerks, and tie numerous
gold mace. On the tier below is the re-
porters gallery-fagged, hard-worked
looking men, who scribble furiously. One
can see what they are doing quite We'll
and it is noticeable that most of them
write in long hand. Their account of the
debate is to be found in the Times next
day, and the speeches as given by them
are far more succinct and forcible than
when the members delivered them. Or
posite is the gallery for distinguished
strangers. and crosswise run the galleries
for the peers. From time to time
some one drops in from the House of
Lords-now also in session-and stays to
hear a portion of the debate. Now it is a
portly, forid old gentleman, who listens
with his hand behind his ear; and now
some slim, pink-cheeked boy just succeed
ed to the title, Immediately arrayedl in
evening dress, with pink peony in his
button-hole. The conservatives sit on the
green cushioned benches to the right OF
the speaker; the ministers in front. Mr..
Arthur Balfour. Secretary of Ireland, is
speaking when we enter. A tall, slender
man, with little silken brown ripples all
over his head; good-ooking, calm and
fauItlessly dressed; and with delicate, slen-
der hands. which he rests on the desk be-
fore him as he speaks, very languidly, but
clearly. and with slight hesitation. They
are talking about Ireland as usual On
the bench from which he has just risen
sits Lord George Hamilton, also handsome,
tall, an6 dark-haird; Mr.. W. H. Smith,
leader of rhe house, whose head is very
large and quite bald M. Goschen; and the
rest of the ministers. Behind sit the con-
sentative, fine body of men, extremely
we'll set up wearing glossy silk hats, and
looking, on the whole, rather indifferent
and bored, grinding out an occasional
Hear! hear!' when Mr.. Belfour makes a
point against his opponents.
This gentleman is saying, in polite par
iamentary phrases, and with a somewhat
fatigued manner, that he considers his &C
cusers liars, one and all. When he is done,
Mr.. Gladstone takes the word rising from
the opposite benches, and looking extreme
ly white and feeble, speaking keenly and
to the point, in the trembling squeaky
tones used by the sage old man. Close be-
side him is Lord Harrington, with his hat
tipped over his eyes, his legs thrust out
and his hands in his pockets. Further
back, among the Irishman, is Bradlaugh
the famous infdel, rosy and genial, and
very like the late Henry Ward Beecher
in appearance. Finally the Irishmen get
on their feet one after another-Dillon,
O'Brien, Parnell-and scream fuently and
"ituperatively at Mr.. Balfonr, who looks
over his notes and pretends not TO hear
them. Sir George Trevelyan, nephew of
Macaulay, speaks on the Irish side with the
polished roundness of the elocutlon1st;
and certain Mr. Fowler, with his laconic
severity, brings flush to Balfou1 S fore
head and makes him stir angrily. In the
gallery with us is a large handsome old
lady with much white lace around her
head. Lady B whispers to me it is
Mrs. Gladstone, who is known as the
Stormy Petrol, for there is sure to be
trouble brewing when she appears. 1t is
rumored tonight that her husband hopes
to cut the government majority ON the
Land Purchase Bill down lower than it has
ever yet been. She shows very little ex-
element. but watches affairs attentively
through the grating.
On one side of us sits slim girl in red,
so interested in the debate that she has
thrown off her hat gloves, and pushed back
her hair from her forehead. She holds the
bars with both little hands, and will not
miss word-a high-bred, pretty creature,
evidently an ardent Conservative, who
gives us much information in whispers as
to the members and the state of the bill.
On the other side sits one take to be an
American from her excessively perfect raj
ment and her little rising Infections AT
ten minutes of eight the Speaker declares a
recess of half an hour, and the members
troop out to dine.-Miss Elizabeth Bisland
in Harper's Bazaar.