Omaha daily bee., 1892-06-05
ARE GOING OUT OF POLITICS
Many Members Of Parliament Will Aban-
don the Commons for Good.
OTHERS NERVOUS ABOUT REFLECTION
Sketches OF Several Who VIII Go Out from
the Present House Never to Return
as Membsrs-Hard Work
for Little Pay.
rcopmton,ed ts,, bu Jam,, Gordo, Bsnnsai


members of Parliament are, at the close of
this first week of June, all under sentence of
death. Some OF us, perhaps good many,
may be ''called back" but we shall have TO
pass through the transition state, receiving
judgment through the medium OF the ballot
box Some OF my friends on both sides of
tho house will go into the fight depressed
and nervous. Some, tired Of the whole
business, think it is not good enough
to waste more life in.' There Is
no remarkable distinction these days in
being member of tho House Of Commons.
Here advantages arc only to be obtained by
those who understand how to push their
fortunes, without allowing modesty TO stand
in their way, or who Lave powerful infiu-
ences 20 back them. up.
Fine Old English Gentleman.
good many Of the present number will
voluntarily retire from public ,ife Let US
take glance at these. They are interest
ing figures in their way. My eye rests first
upon tall, thin, handsome old man, with
something IN his aspect which Instantly ar
rests attention wherever one might meet
him. He looks like relic Of days gone by,
"a fine old English gentleman, one OF the
olden time" So in truth he is, for this Is
sir Rainald Knightley, who was first elected
mas kept his seat ever since. For hundreds
Of years past there has usually been q
knightley in Parliament, and always for the
same county Northampton. The Knight
10 y's have had their estates in that part
OF the country since 14l5. Tney had an an
cester whose name is recorded in Doomsday
Book, thing which very few families In
England can boast of. TIE Knightleys sup
| civil war. Even nov Sir Ralnald causes 1t
| TO be added to his name in the Parliamentary
| Guide that, though nominally conservative,
| he is not pledged to any party. 1t Is said
their coat OF arms, which is hung up In the
| old hall in their house at Fourley, contains
34i quarterings. That hope is difficiont to
| satisfy the most exacting demand OF proof of
| good family of long decent
l never heard the present head of the fam
| ily speak in the House of Commons. He
usually comes in, takes q corner scat and
| gives a silent vote. He is one of those men
who are always to be depended upon in an
| emergency, who Is sure to run true ard
| straight, no matter who is crooked. One is
| sorry to see men like this disappear, for at
any rate they lend picturesque touch to the
external aspect of our political life.
Some other Ancientsan Honorables.
In the lobby few days ago I nearly ran
| against very old member of the House OF
Commons, Mr.. Charles Villiers, the real
| author of the free trade movement. He
| began long before Mr.. Golden or Mr. BriRh,
L
| nearly double. but he comes to the house
| whenever an important division is expected
He is a LIBERAL, but like many of the best he
| could not stand Mr.. Gladstone's sudden sur
| render TO Mr.. Parnell. He is exactly 90
| years of age and has been O member of Par.
| lament tifty-seyen years.
| Mr.. Gladstone can beat that record, for he
| came hero in 1892. l am told that Mr.. Vii.
liers does not intend to give politics up in
| spite of his advanced age, and, Of course,
| there will be no opposition to him. The
| English people never ''go back" on an old
servant unless he has taken extraordinary
| pains to provoee them.
| This pleasant looking elderly gentleman is
| Sir H Selwyn Ibbetson who has JUS received
| peerage, but will not take 1t up until Par.
lament is dissolved. He has had twenty.
seven years. service and deserves to be
transferred to the calmer atmosphere OF
the House OF LORDS and here is
my excellent friend, George Cubtt
who has been in Parliament thirty
two years, and for whom a peerage is also
said to be reserved. He is the owner of Q
beautiful property near Dorking known as
"Den beies." Few travellers in Surry have
| omitted to notice his house and the lovely
church which he built close by it, on the top
of the hill above Gorking. Ho is going, but
| we hope to welcome his son among US In the
next. Parliament.
| Some Hope for Reward.
It must be remembered that the great
present Parliament does not come
till the close OF the last sessi on
many are the fond expectations which are
being cherished at this moment. We may
safely say that goodly proportion OF then
| Is destined TO be disappointed and Lore
Sails bury knows well how to keep secrets Of
this kind. Some new peers there must be-
| in ACCORDANCE with established usage, anC
the honor does not appear to be less coveted
because the radicals are threatening the
| upper house with immediate extinction.
The members who arc going out of public
life by their own choice have all the bes
bargain. Az the present moment they are
rot anxious about the election. They will
look on with Lucretian calmness from the
shore upon US who are struggling in tn,
breakers. They are not going to lose any
thing which is priced very highly.
Have Mighty Few Comforts.
The House of Commons work is as rul,
desperately dull and dreary and moreover
hard. man is sure to be called upon Il
serve upon various committees. That in
wolves great deal of labor with no reward
Of any kind. A member Of a committe il
congress acquires influence and a certaif
distinction Dy his position. Not so hero
Even In the arrangements for personal com
fort and convenience the House Of Commons
cannot be compared to congress. When any.
thing occurs TO bring together full attend
ance we are all tammed up together like hoy,
upon form In school. We wear our hats II
we like, but If we take them off there Is M
place to put them. There is no room pro
vided for the papers which q speaker ma,
require to refer to and II he wants glass O
water he must put IL on the floor at his feet
Before he has advanced far In his speech
he has generally kicked the glass over
He is net allowed to read letters or news Da
pers in the house, and If he wants to write ,
note he must scribble on his knees In pencil
The passages between tho benches are s,
narrow that any member who passes you Il
sure to tread on your foot. Ii you shoult
chance to be asleep for the time this process
will not improve your temper.
Few Fayors for Ladies'.
1t involves considerable trouble to ge
friends into the gallery, and for ladies
orders one has TO ballot weeks before
hand. have known membe
TO ballot all through the session
and not succeed. The drainage of the plac.
in spite Of all the money that has been soen
upon IL is very defective. The evil smell
which fill the corridors and the Hobbies II
warm weather will remind one OF the dirlies
city on the continent. When once we ar
entered the precincts OF the house we canno
get out again, unless wo find q member o
the opposite party Ito pair with" You ar
always exceedingly dou ubtful whether yo,
will get home TO dinner.
1t is supposed that the house does not nov
keep late hours, but at tho 5es
1t must be l O'Clock in the morn
l l-1 Al