Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-08

ISL.
Members of the house Of keys are
elected for seven years. The governor
may at any time dissolve the house in
case Of permanent opposition to the
council, when, as in England, "an APP
peal TO the country" is taken. Council
and keys vote separately. Concurrent
majorities of each are required to pass
measures; and these measures, which
did not formerly go into operation until
promulgated from Tynwald Hill, now
go into effect on receiving royal assent,
which Is seldom denied; as these clever
patriarchal folk keep a wcll-cpnditiOned
lobby in attendance on the house of
peers az Westminster
All Manx laws are called Acts Of
Tynwald, and the Tynwald court may
still, as 4 thousand years ago, be held ut
any time in special session at Tynwald
Hill, but must us then convene yearly
for the PRONUNCIATION of the laws,
though, legally, they may have already
gone into effect This ceremonial has
now become Il national holiday called
Tynwald Day. 1t is held on the 9Th IF
July, or on the 9th, If the 5tl, happens
to fall on Sunday. Undoubtedly 10000
- Wv tptVJJ IIllilItuHLS Vi NldH arc
unfailing in attendance, and the cere-
mony always attracts thousands from
Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumberland,
in England.
The Tynwald Hill is situated Just
west of the centre Of the island between
the cities of Douglas and Peel, and lies
in the romantic pass between the Cairn
and Greeba mountains. additionally
it is said to have been formed of earth
brought here in carts and crcels from
every parish Of the island
Two hundred yards from the hill,
called in Manx Cronk. ~ keillown, or
st, Johns Church Hill, is the imposing
church cf st. john the gift Of the
crown to the island 1t Is a splendid
editice in the early decorated STYLE,
built of South Barrue granite. 1t was
erected in 1S47 on the site of former
church built in 1899, which was itself
preceded by a temple to Thor. At the
southwest corner Of the present clifce
is u strange Runic monument quite
thousand years old with an almost
illegible inscription signifying that
"lnosruir engraved these Runes;n and
the level land roundabout is called the
Curragh.. Glass, or "the gray bog or
swamp"
The Tynwald Mount itself, to which
q broad gravelcd pathway leads from
the entrance to st. Johns Church, is a
curious artificial construction. 1t is 25G
feet in circumference at the base, and
and rises by four concentric platforms
to height Of about IL feet. On the
uppermost of these stand the governor.
la ~ IL a ,tfif,in1a ,I
taries of the island during the promulgu-
ton Of the laws. Until quite recent
times the entire text was read both in
the English and tho Manx languages;
but now only the titles and side
notes are read aloud. A huge canopy
shelters the mount, held in place by II
ropes let into rings in as many stones at
the bottom Of the hill, or one for each
parish Of the island.
Proceedings are begun at II o'clock
IN the forenoon by services in the St.
Johns. When these are ended stately
official procession to the mount begins
in the following orders Three police
men; the six coroners; the captains of
the IL parishes; the clergy; the four
high bailiifs; the house of keys; the
council1 the sword-bearer, carrying the
sword With point upward all followed
by the lieutenant-governo with his
chaplain, surgeon to the household and
the chief constables.
All these officials comprise this ancient
Tynwald court. The court is first
fenced that is, now us in the misty
days, all persons are warned "upon lyfe
and lynn that no man make any disturb
ance or stirringe in the time of the Tyn-
wald, moreover no rising make in the
kings presence upon pain Of hanging
and drawinge." This ''fencing" is done
by the coroner of Glanfba shedding,
who from immemorial custom has been
chief OF the six shedding coroners of
Man. The ManX coroner is called
"toshiagh jioarey," or "chief man of the
law" and his functions are similar to
those of our sheriff.
When q syllabus of the new statutes
have been read by the deemster or Judge
OF the north, the procession returns to
~. Johns. The two branches of the
legislature sit apart, the council in the
chancel and the keys in the south aisle. |
The PRONUNCIATION OF the laws is at
tested, when the governor, by messen-
ger, requests the attendance of the KEYS.
The two bodies then sit in joint house,
and large amount Of annual routine |
government business, such as receiving
the accounts Of state colleges, asylums |
and road funds, establishing rates for
maintenance of public institutions and
the appointmentof committees, is trans
acted.
Here is ceremony more than thous-
and years old. The whole Of the little
ManX nation is here just as in King |
Orry's time, The great impressiveness
Of the scene is not only in its antiquity,
but in the proof that here are a people |
who, while respecting their government |
and rulers, in this sacredly preserved
custom, thus annually serve notice upon
their rulers that after all they are Still |
but the servants Of the people, ana that
the people shall ever remain greater
than the thing and things created to
serve them. And this is the same sort |
of intelligence which American people |
are going to make clearer and clearer to |
their own public servants in good time. |
II you were much in England rs [ |
have been, you would become very fond !
OF the dear little Isle Of Man;" truly |
not as u Alanyman loves it, with an ex- |
ultant and unutterable devotion, for that |
could not be; but in the idylic way |
which comes from feeling You have
found spot glorious in the heroism and
traditions Of its people, spectrally fair in
Its sea setting as d gorgeous rose cut |
from u Respondent bed OF sapphire, and |
weird and tenderin its mountain slopes,
Slens and streams as the misty corrles |
of Scotland's North.
Becallse of this nftat, rup ,,,,o,, f,.,,,,