The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-04-30
An AMERICAN IN EUROPE.
Observations Upon the Life and Politics
Of twenty-five Years Ago.
cii NJ THE LATE
JAM SHEPHERD PIKE.
The British rsriiau~nt and Its Leaders In
SIS and 1909, and Tbercaboutr.

always bring out u prodigious vote In Parlia
ment. So also do other topics having n Decu'
MARY bearing 1t Is especially the case with
railroad interests. Thus on n preli,ninar,
motion for the disposition Of a PROPOSITION fol
o rival railroad from London to Brighton ant
the south coast. tho House was rammed a
tho opening. seats and floor and standinl
room being alike packed. On a question o
peace and war It would have been difficult t.
have got as many member together. Of
course tho railroad people were not beaten.
Another Instance OF n fragrant character
arose on . que alton where the gas companic:
Of London wcrc tho defendants.
The people OF the city," being neeced BY
their Gas companies, wanted to get u parliamen'
tary hearing: for they have no rights In these
old countries TO shake of tboir oppressors in
any department without permission Of the
Government. The first step toward getting gas
at o fair price IL thus to invite Parliament to
allow them to do SO. The House was again
crowded on the opening. Nobody could get ia
or out. All tho city mcmbers asked a hear-
ing. The venerable old Roobuck asked the
House to try and be decent. and not allow
itself to be o~versloushed by the companies
The vote was taken. aud stood 1917 for the
gas companies and 21Oagainst. tile companies
very nearly succeeding In q case whore the
fascals did not deserve q vote.
Mr.. bright onoe said that he knew Of mnny
Just acts passed by Parliament. but he never
knew OF one passed merely because 1t was
Just. On another occasion Sir Robert Peel. In
speaking OF an act Of Parliament. said It was
% good he wondered how 1t ever got through.
The money side OF pa%tlia mentary debate md
action received q further curious and ~instruo.
tive illustration from the running comments
Of q young English Official. who. from long ex-
-~-I.,n ood n.1an;otina hud mamma porfAof-
" familiar with this subject. In reply to the
suggestion that Parliament seemed to enjoy
the advantage OF possessing a great number
OF practical men Of large wealth and much OK
'perience In every department. whose united
judgments must be OF immense service In
public Affairs. he obsoived:
"Thoss mems opinions are worth much.
uppn every subject except their " special
ties. In this very thing where they would
seem so valuable. they are really worthless.
Listen. and you will find they all talk with
some private motive. and not at all for the
public good"
This was IN ~inclsive thrust into this boosted
body Of Intelligent and impartial practical
mon. hat struck BY its sharpness. and indi-
Gated q condition Of things which the unin-
structed mind had not conceived.
The first speaker was Sir Morton Peto. tho
great rnilrond contractor. since exploded and
gone to smoke.
He entered largely into the importance Of
employing private contractors to make Gov
eminent ships. He spoke clearly. ~luently.
and with general good sense. One listened
with surprise to his statement that the Eng
lish were extremely deficient In dockyards In
the Mediterranean. He declared that III a
British ship were disabled there she would
have to depend on the courtesy OF the French
for accommodations atttheir establishments at
Toulon or AlRiers." But whore is Malta2 Is
IL possible France is already in advance Of
ENGLAND In naval accommodations for Msdi-
tsrranean ships7
You see the contractor In that speech"
Il was made to introduce Algiers. whero Sir
Morton has Just obtained q contract for . dry
dock from the French government. with very
large concessions OF land and water priv.
loges In that harbor.
The case will now come out to Sir Morton
1sto's Advantage. He has no other interest In
the debate than to ventilate this fact.
Bir Morton Peto. having thus done his duty
to the public. then left tho House. and was NO
moro seen for the night.
Another great contractor and s%hlpbuilder.
Mr.. Samuda. made an intelligent speech. on.
posing the plans OF tho Admiralty In regard
to- the turret ships and otherwise comment
ing on the true policy Of the Government.
What he said appeared to lie on its face O
Just. Instructive. aud impartial commentary
OF en Independent member Of Parliament on
the management OF a branch OF public service.
solely with u desire to advance the
public interests.
But 1t soon appeared that Mr.. Snmuda had
built u slip or ships for the Admiralty on con-
tract. aud had got into u violent quarrel with
that body. which even the requirements Of
discussion could hardly re-
strain within the bounds OF pronrlety.
All this came out by the exposition OF Lord
Clarence Paget. who followed for the Admit
rally. and tho reioinder OF Mr.. Samuda.
Lord {. Paget said Samuda had deceived tine
Admiralty. an Snmuda declared that Lord G.
Paget had made gnrbled" statements.
Dir. Snmuda's apparently calm and reason.
able exposition OF tho turret and iron clad
question. mado Mt the first. now lost all It's
virtue from this discovery OF the animus which
prompted 1t.
Tho new commercial member from Liver
pool. ur. Graves. made o brief speech In the
OF Samuda and Peto. In the inter-
est Of Liverpool shipbuilders. and his con-
.stituents generally. This was preliminary to
Ills " little special JOB. which was TO intro
duce the name OF q Scotch-American ship
builder. by way OF lift for him and a Liverpool
firm OF which this gentleman was q member.
After Mr.. Graves camo q member who was
much concerned to know about the do
ings OF the Admiralty In an important branch
Of their duties. to wit: providing cordaRs.
chatns. anchors. and holding tackle for the
nAvy generally.
On inquiry It turned out that his patriotic
and practical member was himself . rope
maker. and II was this fact which led to his
on this important subject. He con-
himself awhile under some general
somms nts on Admiralty accounts. and then
nncovSrsd and dartsd out at the close with the
pertinent inquiry. "Will the noble lord INFORM
the House II he 10 purchasing the same kind
pi anchors as last YEAR," This ended his
dissertation. After these illustrations It was
deemed unnecessary to pursue this branch of |
further.
Akin TO these exhibitions sre those wherein
and personal motives SWAY the 40 |
ION OF members. These are often ludiorously |
For example. on Q discussion TO |
Increase the wages Of dock yard laborers. the
representatives OF all the dock yard towns. |