Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-11-02
"WHIPS" IN PARLIAMENT.
American Congress Moving for the
Adoption of an English System.

Adoption of an English System.
The action of the caucus Of members
of the national house Of representa-
tives in adopting a resolution author
izing the appointment of a committee
of whips" from each state TO see that
every member is III his seat ready TO
vote when the time comes, renders the
following from the London Million on
the whips" of the British house of
commons Of particular interest ut this
time:
The chief ministerial whips room is
place is this house Of commons for
alleys. There is probably no such
place in the world. The entire build
/ ing is i paraEelogram in long, waste
full corridors, relieved by cOrkscrew
StaircaSeS. 1t would be very easy for a
stranger to get lost within the precincts
of the coveted chambers. But about
the whips room. 1t is furnished like
a gentleman'S library. There are not
many books but there is a handsome
desk table and a swivel armchair for
the whip, padded in house Of commons
green, and there are other chairs to
match; and here and there upon the
table are papers, sealing-WaX and red
tape. Some very good cigars would
probably be found behind that door in
the wall, and the dim, religious light"
which distinguishes all the private
rooms at the house is relieved by the
electric current. Adjoining and open
ing into this department is the sanctrm
SanctOrum of the junior whips, though
it has an independent door of its own.
At the farther end of the alley out of
which these noble retreats open you
come to Il common deal table at which
two clerks sit writing out whips"
The whips are of various degrees of
force; the strongest is the famous five
liner. But Mr.. Marjoribanks, since he
has been chief dragOman to The party,
has invented several whips of previous
ly unsupported strength. Here is the
wording of the whip issued for the
division on Mr.. GladStOne'S historic
coup d'etat resolution for reporting the
home rule bill at the end of July. The
lines were underscOred in vivid red ink:
Urgent Important Divisions Your
attendance in the house of commons is
most urgently requested on Thursday,
June %, when Mr.. Gladstone will
move a resolution for bringing to q
close the committee stage of the gov
eminent of Ireland BILL and for the pur-
o. ,S,.l,
the suspension of the II o'clock rule
Will be made at the commencement
CT business. E. MarjOribankS.
OF course, there can be no mistake
about language of this kind, and woe
betide the luckless party man who,
having received summons fails to re-
SpOnd 20 it, There are seven treasury
messengers retained at wages varying
up to , guineas weekly, whose business
it is to attend every morning on which
q whip is to be circulated. The metrOp-
Oils for the purpose of convenience,
is distributed into sections, each mes
sengcr taking a district. Here he per-
Sonally visits the home of every mem
Der on his list, and sternly delivers the
whips letter with an awful injunction
to the servant to see that his master
receives it the moment he leaves his
chamber. Tie object of PERSONAL as
distinct from postal, delivery is to as
certain if the NJ. F. wanted is in town.
If he is out Of town his address is
taken down with q view to 4 summons
by telegraph. Whips delivered, the
messengers report themselves at the
patronage secretary's office, and if
they have been able to secure effective
distribution so much the better. Some
members, of course, may be sick; some
may even be going to be married;
some may be attending upon Il sick
wife; others may have arranged to dine
out. All these things must be ascer-
tanned and duly reported to the chief
whip, who Immediately finds pair"
for each of the absentees, or, failing
to do that, he issues q despotic order
which brooks no absence"