New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-16
NOTES FROM OVER SEA.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR-THE SPEAKER
HIS ELECTION-AN OLD-TIME
CEREMONY

WcsthluSter, august D.
The Speaker Of the House of Commons is the
first Comnoner in England and though. being
Commoner, he is In the table of precedence taught
to learn his place, falling line after Esrs' eldest
sons and Marquises' younger sons, he Is really "A
very great parsonage. in the House OF Commons
he is autocratic, though here again the peculiar
tiles of the situation indicated by the fact that
cat Of the chair he Is as other men are, q private
member with no special rights or privileges. 1t
is open to any member to- give notice Of a resolu-
ton calling In question the conduct of the Speaker,
and being arraigned, he must needs, however
obscure be his challenger, make his defence. Such
an episode happened a couple Of years ago, when
Mr. Conybeare tcolloqually known In the House
as THE Curse of Camb,rne," Camborne being the
district that sends him to Parliament. having
drawn on himself the rcproof Of the
Speaker, revenged himself by placing the
paper O vote Of censure directed against the right
honorable gentleman. He never moved It, prob
ably never meant to move it. But there ii stood
day after day to show that the Speaker. after
all, IL but mortal 1t is only members long fam-
lar with the House of Commons who can realize
how shocking is the suggestion. So supreme is
the position of the Speaker In the House that it
seems almost sacrilegious to regard him as sub
ected to the ordinary ills and weaknesses Of
mortality The Lord Chancellor, though peer of
the Realm and President Of the House of Lords,
is not nearly so highly placed. The whole condi-
tions and traditions of the two posts vary Tho
Lord Chancellor, for example, frequently takes
part In debates going forward in the House OF
Lords. When he does SO he moves pace 10 the
right or left Of the woolsack and thence delivers
his speech 1t works something on the principle Of
the penny-in- the-slot automaton. You insert the
cOn-or, to be more precise, speech is made
which exctes the controversial faculties OF the
Lord Chancellor lie moves stride from the
woosack and is for the nonce no longer Lord
Chancellor but private peer, exercising the priv
lege of debate. In the Commons the Speaker is
assumed TO he lifted too far above the turbulent
waters OF controversy to feel human desire to
slip down and stir them. He never takes part in
debate, nor never votes. save In the rare circum-
stances of tie, when he exercises the ordinary
privilege as a chairman.
The House Of Commons has for many genera
TORS been in a varying degree fortunate in its
Speaker. But in every respect the high-water
mark of excellence has been reached by the present
occupant of the Chair. Mr. Arthur iWcllcsly
Peel. who on Thursday for the fourth time
elected Speaker Of the House OF Commons, Is tho
Youngest son OF the great Sir Robert. lie natur-
ally drifted into politics. and just twcnty-sevcn
Years ago was elected member from Warwick.
lie carly obtained minor post in the Ministry,
and generally had something offered 20 him when
Mr. Gladstone came into power IL was in 1854
that the great prize OF his life, somewhat un-
cxpectedly I fancy, came within his grasp. Sir
Henry Brand retiring from the Chair the deli
cate and diiiicult duty of nominating his sue
cessor fell upon Mr. Gladstone have heard
from one familiar with the private history OF th'
case that it was Sir Henry Brand who first called
IN fha MON
Warwick However it be Mr. Gladstone, then
omnpotent in the Commons placed him in the
Chair The pithicst description of his conduct
therein is found by the fact, already mentioned,
that he has been four times elected, twice by
Liberals and twice by Conservatives. Among
the general body OF the Hcuse OF Commons who
knew him only us an Under Secretary the choice
WAS astounding. To the outside pubic IL was
bewtIderins since they had not heard Mr.. Arthur
Pcel's name before, aud could form no judgments
Of his probable capacity that was proved at inc
arliest possible moment. The speech made oy
Mr. Peel in accepting the Office electrified the
House by it's strong feeling, high eIoquchc' al"
the perfect skill of his elocution-this last oS
no means imrnatcrial con'ributory 10 the snccceo
of o Speaker. II was speech nara 10 i've up w.
But Mr. Peel has succeeded, each session iIa'i's
impressed the House with fuller sense oil hio
courtesy, dignity anu CdpnOiS'
Tie business of the election Of new speaker
is. like all House Of Commons ceremony en-
ccedngly quaint. II Is certain that opcaN'i
Ienthall was, two hundred ana hity Year,
aco indicted to the Chair in precisely the same
fashion "a was followed last Thursday in the
case Of Mr.. Arthur Peel When presiding over
tho busiuess Of the House, the Speaker sits in
c,nopied chair arrayed in fullbot'oined Wig
s;lk.n gown. black silk stockings, and with -llNer
buckle shocs-a dress when on stately nsurc
like that of the present Speaker, is considerable
adjunct 10 authority On Thursday old members
Ion, accustomed to Mr.. Peel In this garb were
.,artled 70 find him sitting among them ~
ordinary morning dress That was ha'uiai
enough seeing he was not yet Speaker; out u
WAS something not TO be got used to In moment
Tho whole state Of the House Of Commons az
this moment was anomalous. Not only was thefe
no Speaker, but there as yet no members
Of Parliament, seeing that at this time no one
had taken the oath. But beginning must DO
made somewhere and in the Commons II is maze
at the birth of new Parliament with the eeieo-
ton Of a new Speaker, although thosc who eiect
him are. in tie eyes Of the constitutional law nom
existent When the House Is IN fnll session.
no man may speak until called upon py nai'c
by the Speaker But what If there lie no Speaker
This difficulty Is got over ny ueNioc ""'
illustrates alike the ingenuity and the ingenious
ness of the ancient trainers Of parliamentary pro-
cednrc. Though with the Dissolution OF far-
lament the Speaker, chairman of committees
and their e6s brother members disappear, the
clerks remain On Thursday, when the new
Parliament met, the Chief Clerk. dressed, as
usual, in wig and gown, was discovered seated
~ the table, ard upon him. pending the election
OF tho Speaker, fell the initiation Of debate But
il would not do TO have a clerk calling by name
upon member Of the House, even though he
wsrc upsworn Accordingly, the clerk. IN
obedience to tradition, that has come down VIII"
the centuries, dumbly points to the member VINO
laaa., anaad shall nrnnose the clectI0n OF