The morning call., 1892-02-21
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.
The Motives and the Aims Of Those Who
Seek Election.
Net Salary But Social Distinction, Kept IN
Professional Spirit Of Lawyers.
Ireland's Representatives.
Written FOR THE SUNDAY CALL

The English member of Parliament Occu-
MES different position from the American
legislator in at least one important respect.
He has no salary. and unless he'be lawyer
be has slender hope of attaining to official
position and Of drawing the emolumenJs
thereof Not only is the absence of salary
not considered grievance by the vast ma
iority Of those who now seek seat IN
Parliament but the handsome allowance
made 10 members Of the Government IS
thought lightly If by those who receive it.
Courared VITA their income from private
sources il is, generally speaking mere
tride What is 5000 year 10 the Duke OF
Devoushire or the MARQUIS Of Salisbury
Some other ambition than the ting Of
money moves such men t. c1yet office and
70 pass weary DAYS in the hard work Of
Government departments and in Parliament
itself. There are iu all ministries some
men who are not rich, but only passaby
well of. and to these the allotted income Is
welcome Cases also occur ID which eX-
Ministers are so Stralteuedin circumstances
that thew are glad to accept a pension
. usually 5000 a year such payments are
not numerous, and they are only given TO
men Hlo have served their country good
number Of years, and have reached old
age But with the exception Of lawyers
who enter Parliament with an eye to the
main chance professionally, the average
member becomes a law-giveT from very
mixed variety of motives. Before the fran
ChiSe was lowered 10 household suffrage and
the ballot came into operation, tie nobility
and gentry struggled 10 uphold their lutu-
eDce and rank by returning tuelT sons OF
relatives or political friends TINS and that
family 0y It's influence, too often persuasive
~ exercised by free resort % broerr, could
return a.duZ-u members. and Il was COM
mon thing TO 81 eak of the family seat a. II
1t We're q piece Of property attached TO the
e. estate. ID The struggle between Wing and
Tory on the very heated lines Of conflicts
two generations ago, a fortune might be
spent IN winning an election and just as
much 10 losing II. lie stake on each SIDE
among The great families las sometimes
been as high a. 50, 900 and all Tor tue honor
Of beng patriotic.
MODERN ELECTIONS.
As matters are now benefcenty arranged
however, n member of Parliament can only
spend q modest sum II necessary expenses
on an election. H dare not iugratlate HIM
self with the electors by any resort to lavish
expenditure, no matter what the object may
be. for 10 would only vltiate his return. NUT
can be do by others what he cannot do HIM
self He must not show too deep an inter
est iu b-neY0Ieace or philanthropy within
his district. because only too surely would
cynical and suspicious human nature
Trace a connection between q good deed
and a Sc. u9h stroke Of policy Besides due
declaration must be made Of every penny Of
expenditure, and any opponent Is al liberty
TO pick a hole IN the account and petition
iOT az inquiry. and tie uHseating Of tie
candidate, II found lu fault The red stTIbu-
ton Of seats. which has taken place in
Great Britain ami Ireland, by breaking up
the old county divisions Into Ole-membeT
cun>ti tueUcIes combined with the en-.
fTanchi>em-ut # the rural population down
10 the poorest who have house over their
heads. has materially reduced aTlstOCratlc
Influence Iu elections, ard the PT1teEes OF
She noble and wel-U0Tn have HU longer q
Waik-oyer at The polls, but mast fight every
inch or tier ground TO WIN. To some eX-
tent, therefore, the character Of the House
If Commons bias changed. Men OF good
average ability are more numerous than
they were In the ParamentS Of the past;
men Of ILh ability ara just as IUmerOus,
and men Jf 30 ability are becoming tired OF
an assembly which they cannot even mag
Inc thrF al rH, and which grants them
scaDt leisure II they are 10 stand well with
their constituents. IN the good Old days IL
was possible for member TO sit in Par. 4
meut many years without opening his
mouth once. save 10 present petitions
mere formal prOc-e ing Christopher Sykes,
Yorkshire member and an Intimate friend
Of tbe Prince Of Vale, is an example OF
this species Of silent member There were
even members who, from shyneSs or
empty-headedneSs, were Incapable Of max
Ing any speech at all on any topic.
II they did Use 10 their feet they could
only humble a few dsl0cated sentences
HarTed by stoUpages and repetti0ns. Both
the silent member and The positively in
capable member have by the turn If events
been cut of from the honor OF serving their
country as legislators. They are possibly
useful as country justices OF as members Of
the county councils. Constituencies now
require some gifts Of the orator in their can
ddates and some understanding OF local and
i'm eTial affairs, and there is a tendency 10
discard territorial influence, although II still
Is potent provided ability be linked with it.
THE MEDIoCRITY MEMBER.
Business men with a wide practicai kn0wl-
edge Of the world and its affairs are now a
large body in Parliament. a considerable
proportion OF them continue in business
but have more the character OF sleeping
partners than active participants. Others
have retired on tine fortunes they have &C
cumuated, and hencef0rth seek nothing
more than honor and such social distinction
as may come 10 q man whose fortune has
arisen out Of soap, coal mining, pjgirOn,
boiler plates, ship building or mustard.
Why many OF these men should come to
Parliament all is a puzzle After the
novelty Of a session OF two has worn off
lead, attending committees and sitting up
late at night. They may even be tired Of
the clubs they frequent and bored to death
with the dinners To which they are Invited
They have in short no heart for the strife
OF politics and no pleasure IN its excite
ment, or in the Whir Of gayetv Of
the London season. But In this mat
ter they have to reckon with their
wives and daughters, who are ambitious 10
squeeze their way into what is termed high
iafVy harr 4 81
process OF elbowing ones way into great
ness there Is nothing so valuable as a handle
to the name Of DatsUfamilias and a reDuta-
tion for wealth. The rage tC enter society
Is responsible Tor much unhapplness in the
name OF political ambition and for many
family heart-buTnings. Within this gen
Grafton many thousands have become rich
IN the manufacturing centeTs-far richer
than the landowners, unless they happen to
own minerals as well as broad acres 1t is
to this class that many members belong
Their prosperity brings in middle age and
even 10 old axe desire for leisure, and Il is
assumed that Parliament combines both
leisure and dignity. One thousand pounds
spent honestly on the costs Of election Is a
very small consideration 10 such men, They
willingly and for tie most part sincerely
take all the pledges required Of them by
their constituents and then they HE to Lon
don and begin a new life. The cost Of a
town house in the fashionable quarters of
the west End Is perhaps also tritle, but in
high society only a heavy bank account
could stand the financial drain.
SOCIAL AIMS.
There are parties to give, dinners. balls.
receptions. the Queens drawing-room.
with consequent and undesirable presenta-
tiOns, entails long vista of expenditure
not quite ended with the actual ceremony.
If opera is in vogue there must be a box at
the opera for the family There are horses
and carriages to keep and a long retnue Of
servants, and a fully fiedged member gets
himself elected IN several clubs The very
crest on the panels Of the carriage-dOors has
cost handsome amount. In his provincial
ObscuTity as a capitalist and employer the
member probably deemed a crest quite su-
peTfuOus, but now that he is in London