The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-08-19


Iags- At that time the representatives,
desks We're boxes placed under their
seats, ana IN these they placed their pens,
INK and paper. Desks were not installed
until in November, 1882, 1 believe. When
you enter the palace from The Quai Dor
sey you come first to the sale DIES Pas
IefduS," or hall of lost footsteps, place
where both before and during the session
deputies stroll about peacefully and guy
each other.
At the two extremities of the hall are
groups IN bronze; the one at the entrance
END IS ARIA and Poetus, a tragedy group;
the other is copy Of the LAGOON, and
winch for many years has furnished mat
Ter Tor salIles of wit and bright remark.
The serpents represent the Opposition
pursuing Power with poisoned darts, and
LAGOON represents the martyred gov
eminent. In 1889 the following quartrain
was written in chalk on the pedestal:
Chacun, dams ce here's troyen
Qu1 yalnement raidit SEES mem bres
heconnait lie roy citoyen,
III, dams les serrents, les deuX chambres.
IN this hall. the liveliest of all in the
pudding, may be seen the entire national
representation III single afternoon, and
one IS constantly running against Parlia-
mentary reporters who have taken notes
ana are hurrying to the telegraph or to
the telephone. Then they return IN hot
haste to CLEAN what may have escaped
them III their first harvest.
from the hall of the Pas Perdus we
pass into that of the Quatre- COLONIES.
traverse this, follow a corridor, and you
! reach the western part of the palace,
where the officers of the Chamber and
the committees have their offices. An
other corridor, peopled with statues, leads
10 the conference hall, to the library, and
to the buffet Well lighted, decorated by
| superb paintings and flags which were
captured at Marengo, Austerlitz and
jena, this conference hall is the rendez-
VouS of those Deputies who prefer the
pleasures OF conversation or of reading
newspapers to the charms of eloquence.
Cigars are vigorously prohibited, and
even cigarettes are not allowed. In the
center OF this hall are two tables; on one
are scattered the journals of Paris and of
Ihe departments, while a hundred Depu-
tles might gather around the other and
dlspatch their correspondence.
In lS49, during the prevalence of the
cholera which decimated Paris, the Ques-
tors transformed this hall into a sort OF
pharmacy. Teapots and rum bottles COW
ereu the tables. and as the plague struck
with redOubled blows deputies drank in
consequence, and some OF them, TOO.
more than was good for themselves.
Ihey died one after the other. and the
living came back from one burial only to
60 to another. At the opening OF each
session 1t was niece ssary to draw lots for
the members Of the funeral DELEGATION
and one deputy whom fate devoted to
these somber corteges gave vent to an eX-
cIamation of i'll humor.
Il DO not understand YOU" his neigh
Dor exclaimed. at is for dead col
league, and your exclamation is in bad
taste"
But. Monsieur, did not know him."
then saluting his interlocutOr court
eously, he added: IF it were you [
would do it with pleasure!"
A NOTABLE LIBRARY.
The ceiling of the library and the two
hemicycles were decorated by Eugene
DelacroiX in 1915. There are more than
10000 volumes in the library aud among
the lot is d collection i'll 500 volumes Of
the transactions of the American aud
English legislative bodies, digest in ! 10
volumes OF the laws of Russia, the man
uScrlDts of the trial of Jeanne dare all
the works OF Rousseau, and the memoirs
OF Bailey. The "DuYette'' installed IN a
sort of green house is neutral ground,
and there Deputies fraternize willingly.
During the second empire they ate and
drank free gratis. The table was free
and many OF the Deputies economical
their salaries by taking two square meals
daily and washing them down with fine
wines. Sugar was scattered everywhere,
chocolate was heaped up in plates, and
the walters turned away their eyes dis
creetly whenever Deputy helped him
self to provisions, which the taxpayers
had to settle for.
Viewed from the galleries, or tribunes.
as they are called, the Chamber Of Depu-
ties is of fine proportions, but as a speak
ing room and hall of Parliament there is
only one worse than it in the whole
world, and it is the British House Of
Commons. There are SO Deputies, and
their seats and desks are arranged in a
semi-circle array on the floor OF the cham
Der. The hall is surrounded with twenty
columns of white marble of the Ionic or.
der, having capitals of bronze gilt. q
happy concurrence of hue that adds light
and Iofuness to the place, the light being
retracted from the shining surface of the
marble from every point of view, the
Presidents (Speaker's chair, and the
tribune in front of him for those who
wish to address the house from the center
of the axis of the semi-circle from which
rise amphitheatrically the desks to the
nights of the basement which supports
the columns. Over the Speakers chair.
on the wall which faces the assem- bled
Deputies, is large painting of King
Louis Philippe swearing to the charter in
the Chamber of Deputies, in August,
1880. There are two galleries running
around the semi-circular part of the
house. and they are fitted up with "trib-
unes" for the Speaker, the diplomatic
corps, State officers and the public, and
the seats in these tribunes are as uncom-
Portable as those in the State Capitol at
Springfield.