The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-12-27
AN ODD REGULATION.
HOW THE HOUSE or COMMONS GERS
MEMBERS TO PRAYERS.

Piety Not Always the Incentive 70 Punctu-
ality-spurred by the Desire TO Sit Dur
ing tho Days Proceedings-The Cere-
moniai Of Opening the House.
The house Of is unique
among the legislatures of the world in
having no complete accommodation for
its members. There are altogether 670
members of the house, and there are
exactly 430 seats, of which only 800
are on the floor. The speaker takes the
chair at 8 o'clock, except ON Wednes-
days, and unless the house has agreed
to what are called morning sittings,"
which begin at O'Clock. Three o'clock
Ii sufficiently late in the afternoon,
Judging by the example OF other legis-
l~atures, but it is too early for the men
of business, the practicing lawyers and
the men Of fashion, who still form so
large a factor in the membership of par
lament. 1t il rarely therefore that
there are more than a few members in
attendance at that hour. Another rea-
SON for this abstension may be that
this is the hour of devotion. Each sit
ting Of the house is begun by the sol
emn reading of prayers by the speakers
chaplain, at present the well known
Archdeacon Farrar. Those who attend
prayers reap an immediate and earthly
reward. On the large table that stands
in front of the speakers chair there is
a box which contains a number of cards
with the word Prayers" printed upon
them.
The member who has attended pray
ers writes his name On this card and
thereafter places it in the small slot
which is at the back of each seat in the
house, and for that particular evening
that seat is his. He may leave the seat
for hours, but he is entitled to it when
ever he returns and can expel any per-
son who may have taken it during his
absence. There are only two classes oi
persons in the house who have any set
tied rights with regard to seats. The
front bench on the right hand side OF
the speakers chair is called the treas.
ury bench, and on this sit the various
d members of the existing administration.
The bench Immediately opposite is call.
ed the front opposition bench, and on
this sit the members of the previous
administration.
There are, it will be thus easily I'm.
derstood, two peculiarities under these
circumstances about the attendance al
J prayers. First, the gentlemen usually
present are not always those most dis
tinguished for their piety. The caustit
editor of Truth has taken in recent
years to laying the foundation stones o.
nonconformist places Of worship, but
nobody would be less likely to set up 8
claim for special piety than MIR. Labou'
: chere. Nevertheless, every night o.
the week Nh. Labouchere listens will
, pious attention to the ministrations o.
: the chaplain. The secret reason is tina
the first seat on the front bench below
the gangway is a place peculiarly wei
suited for the guerrilla that is ever OF
the watch for the moment to make al
onslaught on a wicked administration
and Mr.. Labouchere, as the chief Of tn,
9 guerrillas, is especially fond of this sea-
and has occupied it for years. Thi
incumbency, though sanctified by 81
many years of usage, has still to be woI
9 by regular attendance at every even
ing's prayers. The rule is infiexible
except in the cases already mentioned
that a seat can be held only for on,
? night, and that then it shall be won bJ
attendance at prayers. The second pc
culiarity is that the men who are mos
in want of the assistance OF prayers, ~
| having the heaviest responsibility upol
, their shoulders-the members of the I'D
ministration and the leaders of partie
ARE always conspicuously absent.
just before prayers are begun tn
procession OF the speaker to his plac'
in the house takes place. Enough o
this a quaint and interesting spectacle
The speaker still wears the large, full
, bottoned wig of state occasions, Il
/. dressed in q short tailed coat, coverei
, by a sweeping robe, wears knee breeche
and low shoes with large buckles. Be
hind and before him is a small cohor
} Of attendants-the sergeant-at-arm
4 / WHALING AAoNC, LAG LAAPA0&h WAs
, prayerbook in hand, the trainbeare
, holding up the train and two or thre'
: other attendants, the exact purpose o
/, whom it is impossible to tell beyonf
the desire to make the procession NOR,
imposing in point of numbers. Tn
} sergeant-at-arms, like the speaker, ]
: arrayed in knee brooches, with low
shoes. He carries a sword by his side
but is allowed to dispense with the wig
3 The ceremonial is made more imposing
by tke policemen and attendants, win
shout Along the corridors which sepa
rate the speakers house from the houst
Of m speaker Speaker
shout which has a strange, indefnabl'
effect, however often heard, and stir
the blood somewhat as the dreams O
De Quincy were moved by the recol
lection OF the Roman consul passing
over the Appian way. II sounds like
"reminiscences and momentary embodi
ment Of all the fierce struggle. ~oratoria
triumphs, tragic and world shaking
EAA