The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-09-10
HOW THE QUEEN ACTS.
ANTIQUE FoRMALITIEe w THE ENG
LlSH PARLIAMENT.

1t is question time in the house of COM
| mons, and. ministers are laboriously read
ing their answers TO the long list of printed
questions on the paper. Presently, with
no apparent reason, the outer doors OF the
chamber, usually wide epea, are shut and
locked and the doorkeepeF stands guard
| ing them, peeping through tiny wicket
Ia the door as he expected an iHeon-
venient dun.
| But, NO; the doors have only been locked
on the same principle that the little boys
| On the towing path OF the Gam shut tho
gates when they see an undergraduate
approaching, in order to have the pleasure
Of opening them again-for a considera-
ton. What the consideration of the door
keeper of the house of commons may be iB
not known to the public, but the very
| instant that the stranger approaching has
made three modest taps on the door, the
watchfui attendant fings is open and
announces the visitor with q stentorian
shout Of "Black Rod"
Slowly does the elderly gentleman in
braided Uniform who bears this title and
The short rcd that confers it advance up
the floor Of the house, bowing scrupulously
three times in his passage.
honorable house, in the name of the crown
Immediately to attend at the house of
peers TO hear the royal assent given by
commission TO various bills. Having given
bis message, he slowly retires backward,
bowing again with the mystic three bows.
SPEAKER AMP BLACK ROD.
without a word all the members rise in
their places, and the speaker leaves his
chair and joins Black Rod, who has been
waiting for him at the bar of the house.
Side by side in brotherly converse they
walk off, followed by the sergeant-at-arms
and two or three members as representa-
tives of the house, while strong lunged po-
Hcemen in the lobby below out: make
| way for Black Rodf' 'tMake way for the
speakerW
In the house Of lords quaint but not un-
impressive spectacle awaits one Through
| the stained glass windows of the beautiful
chamber the sunlight is streaming, light
ing sp the richly carved woodwork and the
decorated ceiling, and making the red
benches below seem redder than ever. In
deed, on the floor of the house red, Grim
son red, is the single note Row upon row
of crimson benches, all empty, and on the
woolsack three silent peers robed IN red
At the table, scarcely noticed in the blaze
Of red, are three silent clerks in wig and
gown; that is all.
But by this time the speaker and his
companions have reached the house OF
lords, and have placed themselves in lit
tie pen opposite the woolsack and the
throne. There they stand, patiently or inn
patiently, throughout the ceremony.
The first business is the reading of the
| rfoiT N
on behalf of her majesty. The document
Is very long and very legal. The number
of peers named to serve on the commission
seems legion.
HRR MAJEsTY's PEERS.
There is the Prince of Wales and the
Duke of Connaught; there is "the most
reverend father in God and my well be-
| loved and trusty councillor" the arch
bishop of Canterbury; there is the arch
bishop of York, and many other notables.
Finally comes Lord Halsbury, lord
chancellor of that part OF my kingdom Of
Great Britain and Ireland called Great
! Britain" and at these words of the read
ing clerk the lord chancellor. hitherto mo-
tionless on the woolsack, raises his three
cornered hat in response to a deep bow
from the clerk.
and the clerk bows again. and another
three cornered hat is raised by another
figure on the wooIsack. The same double
bow is repeated at the name of Lord Wind
sor, the third of the three figures.
The document then recites that these
numerous commissioners, cor any three of
them" shall have power to act for the
queen, and notify her assent to the bills
passed by Given at Windsor
! by the queen herself, signed with her own
hand"
This ends the first stage of the proceed
ings. The lord chancellor then imme-
diately, without moving, makes a little
speech to the empty benches, which he ad-
dresses as ''My lords" and calls upon the
"clerks at the table to pass the bills in the
! usual manner"
The two other clerks now step forward
and stand one at each side of the table.
cne reads the titles of the bills, the other
announces her najesty's assent. But this
bald statement gives but poor idea of the
acted scene, fer the bows have been alto
gether omitted.
PLENTY OF BowING.
No ceremony is complete without bow,
| and the passing of bills in the house of
/
! junior clerk, as he takes each bill from the
/ table, turns to the woohsack and makes
profound bow 20 the commissioners Ris-
| ing, he reads the title of the bill and then
/ bows again. AS soon as this bow is over
the senior clerk on the other side of the
ia BILE makes his bow to the woolsack.
This bow over he turns around 20 the
representatives of the commons penned up
under the clock, and in a clear voice pro
nounces the crucial words, La RENE he
venit;n then turns round again and makes
another deep bow to the red robed peers on
the woolsack.
All this ceremonial is gone through with
/ every bill, and as the titles of the bills are
! read it is not easy to avoid 6 smile at the
! incongruity between the nature of the bill
and the antique formality by which it Is
passed into law. At length the high pile
! of bills is disposed OF, and the last of the
/ bows has been made. The three figures in
red then simultaneously raise their trian-
gular hats 70 the faithful commons in the
pen, and these promptly retire At the
same moment the lords commissioners
! leave the wools2ck and vanish through
| another door.
The scene is over, but last touch OF
comedy is given 70 the ceremony by the
speaker on his return to the house OF com
nous. Immediately he has taken his seat
| he rises and says, Il have 10 inform the