Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-04-07

Commons which were in the possession
Of the late Captain Mackinnon, at one
time member of Parliament They are
| carved decorations, emblems of Great
Britain, the Rose" part of the West
minister Arms, also the English rose,
the Thistle, the emblem of Scotland
and acorns and oak leaves all carved
out of oak, all very ornamental and
curious. The House of Lords, CORE
spending to our Senate, is at the other
end of the building north and south
1t is usually entered from the south
front by the members Lords or Peers.
The Royal entrance is in front of the
Victoria Tower. When the Queen
opens Parliament in person she arrives
at this entrance passing into the
Princes chamber and thence into the
House of Lords This is a larger room
being 81 feet long and 70 feet wide. At
the end of the House is the Throne,
| with a chair on either side under the
canopy for the Prince of Wales and
| L
House of Lords are magnificent
| frescoes, stained glass windows, and
elegant furnishings and fittings. When
the Queen opens Parliament in person
| (which is very seldom the costumes of
the Lords are magnificent and the
scene presented truly grand. On the
right of the Bar is the seat of the
| "Usher Of the Black Rod" who brings
the members of the House of Commons
| to plead before the Bar. 1t is wonder
| fully interesting to look at; to a stranger
that crowd Of members of the Lower
House coming without ceremony to the
slender brass rod because they can 90
no further, pressing against it, laying
hands on it, and leaning over it, and
yet held back by the visible and
invisible force of it. Surrounding the
House of Lords are Peers Lobby and
Peers Library, splendid suite of
rooms, corridors, etc, leading to the
Central Hall and St. Stephens Chapel.
The public is admitted to view both
Houses of Parliament and all the public
| portions Of Westminster Palace every
Saturday between the hours of 10 and
+ O. lock-during the session by tickets.
An interesting feature of the Clock
Tower is that, during the time when
Parliament is in session, there is always
an electric light shining from the top Of
the clock face. Directly the sittings Of
Parliament are over, the light is
| eXtinguished.
In front of the Houses of Parliament
| by the side of Westminster Abbey
stands st. Margerets Church, a very
| interesting old church built about 1854
| by Edward the ConfessOr for the people
who had settled around the Abbey, and
by those who sought the privilege of
the Sanctuary. [ mention this in
particular as there were so few churches
in England which were used as a
Sanctuary-which was a consecrated
place, which gave protection to crimi-
nails taking refuge there. The ancient
ecclesiastical law recognized this
protection to criminals for a limited
period, or at all events to give time for
the first heat of resentment to pass
before the injured party could seek
redress. There are many tombs and
tablets in this church and the church
yard is extremely crowded with bodies,
Among others who are buried here is
Sir Walter Raleigh, whose headless
body was inferred within the Chancel
of this Church the day he was
beheaded in the old Palace yard 1913,
I only mention him particularly as be
was so intimately associated with the
history of our country in the founding
of the colony of Virginia, a name
chosen as containing an allusion to the
Virgin-queen (Elizabeth.) On the
opposite bank of the Thames from the
Houses of Parliament stands st. Thorn
as Hospital, splendid pile of buildings
which for six centuries have been the
site of a hospital. Within a stones
throw is Lambeth Palace, the official
residence Of the Archbishop of
Canterbury, and near this Palace the
site of the once famous NauXhall
Gardens mentioned so particularly in
Thackery's "Nanity Fair" The Doul-
ton Pottery Works are situated within
two squares of Lambeth Palace. The
porcelain and China manufactured at
! these works is famous the world over.
Some of the works of Art made here,
both in the delicacy of design and
beauty of coloring, are considered
superior even to Royal Worcester.
Near the foot Of NauXhall Bridge in
Westminster stands NIilbank Prison,
once the largest penal establishment in
England, but during the past few years
| fallen into innOcuous desuetude. From
the general resemblance to the Bastile
of Paris, in its conical rooted towers as
well as from the severity of its systems,
this Penitentiary was stigmatized as
| the English Bastile 1t was the general
depot for transports waiting to be
drafted to other prisons or placed on
ship board for dock-yard labor, and
| here were sent the most reckless and
| hardened criminals from all parts of
the country. From four to five
thousand persons passed through this
prison yearly, where there were 1850
cells and over three miles of corridors.
! An,ono the c11riOSitieS of London in