New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-09
"THE SPEAKERS EYE"
WITH SOME NOTES ON THE USES OF THE
MONOCLE.

iho proIOseu aDOlltlOH vi Tue Sp'ihtTS eye IT,
calls to mind the fat that his entertainments at the
Palace OF Westminster constitute quite important
social features OF the London The First Com
mOner in the Land-a title conferred BY statute on
the Speaker OF the House OF Commons several cen
turtles ngo-Occupies magnificent Official residence
on The river side OF that gorgeous pile known as the
Houses Of IhrlIament and devotes considerable
portion OF his large salary TO official entertainments
while Parliament Is In session. These entertainments
take the shape OF dinners and levees, at both OF
which the gentlemen who attend are expected to
appear either in uniform In court dress, the or
binary evening dress being strictly forbidden The
Speaker himself receives his guests in black velvet
court suit, knee breaches with silk stockings, steel
handled sword, and beautiful Ece ruiIes round the
neck and wrists. lie Is attended such occasions
by his official traInbcarer (who on state occasions
carries his traln his purse bearer, his gentlcmenn-
waiting, and his chaplain. The banqueng hail. where
his dinners take place, looks out 10 the north, and
from Its windows may be the long stretch OF the
Thames Embankment, with Its perfect falryland OF
electric lamps and moving lights. The table and the
huge sideboards loaded down with the magnificent
old plate belonging, ex-oiicio, to the speaker OF the
House Of Commons; and from the walls look down the
portraits OF mny famous First Commoners' past and
gone. The Speaker takes wine with old fashioned
grace with each OF hts guests In turn while the health
OF the Queen Is invariably proposed and drunk with
decorous and sincere Formally The Office OF Speaker
carries WIN III III ullS Idliil
salary OF $4,000 and allowances amounting to almost
as much more Moreover, Is the privilege OF each
retiring Speaker to receive seat in the House OF
Lords. 1t may be added that the grant Of this peer
age is generally accompanied by pension OF 100000
year for two generations.
There Is no optic in the world that has played so
important part in history the "eye" OF the
Speaker Until his eye Is caught member in the
House OF Commons Is permitted to address that lcGis-
lave chamber. The power Of that eye and the rights
which II possesses not based on any written law,
but upon long established custom and tradition. Very
often several members rise In their places at and
the tine. cndeavorIng 10 arrest the wandering
optic OF the Speaker and Is then free to that august
functlonary 10 make his selection and to Indicate the
member who has his permission TO speak. While he
generally comedies priority TO newcomers who are
about 10 address the House for the first time. yet he
Is impartial In the performance OF this particular
duty that within the memory Of the present genera
fIon any rate Speaker Of the House OF Commons
has get been taxed with unfalrncss. OF course.
this extremely aniquatcd method Is attended by many
dsadvan tagcs, and 1t often happens that members
prevented from addressing the House for weeks to-
gchcr and dcbarrcd from taking any part In the debate
owing TO their failure 10 catch the Speakers eye
Among the schemes proposed In connection with its
abolition Is one which IS extremely ingenious. II
provides that certain number Of hours should he set
aside for the debate Of each important question, and
that these should then he divided up into rs many
parts there members Ir, sent According to this
arrangement, each member present would have, let Us
say exactly two minutes time allotted 10 him in
which 10 communicate to the House his Views the
subject before IT, But, according 10 n further rule.
neither ne any other member would he permitted
10 address the House for less than three minutes
That Is 10 say, member would have II right 10
speak unless morr Of his fellow members had
conceded 60 him their share share, Of the allotted
ina nd al. him fh,ir gppls beli I'd
that by this method the transaction OF Parliamentary
business would DO considerably facilitated. only good
speakers permitted to address the House, and that
there would bc great decrease Of that nconsequcnt
and scsunfcient drivel with which unlmportant and
loquaclrus provincial members frter the time OF the
legislature of the empire.
Like his predecessor. Speaker Peel Is forced 10
plncc when reading hat he does not wear II when
about 90 select the member who Is N address the
House fearing probably that the glasses might impair
the action OF his Official eye. II will he readily under
STOOD therefore. that falling cycslght would bc In
superalAc iar to the retention OF the Spoakershlp
believe 1t this ground that Speaker Brand
signed his Office. during the last term of which he
forced 10 wear goldrmmcd spcctaclcs. which had
very disconccrtng ehc,t. Indeed 1t would have
been preferable from legislative point Of view n he
had worn monocle, since In that case there could
never have been any doubt as tn the direction OF
the Speakers eye Nor would II monocle seem out
OF keclkpg with the Speakers full bottomcd wig and
judicial robes might bc disposed 10 imagine
Sir Henry Romer of the 10000 aycar judges Of
the High Court OF Judcature OF Great Britain, wears
q monocle when the bench, and 1t to give
his dcan-cut, judicial face Il decided appearance OF
keen and critical penetration II Is said that when
he looks through II ut witnes, the latter longer
dars to prevarcatc, but feels the necessity OF avOw
Ing the full truth. The monocle is also stated To be
OF great 10 the Judge In connection with his deal
m no for A
u making any verbal remark which might furnish
counsel with a ground for an application for new
trial. merely by the why that he lets il drop from
his eye. conveys 10 the jury his opinion as 10 the
veracy OF the statement Of a witness or as to the
value OF any particular argument BY the lawyers
pleading before him.
The only crowned head In Europe that uses the
single eyeelass Is the King Of Wurtemburg, who pre-
scnts many points OF resemblance to the Prince Of
Wales. The latter, Notwithstanding all that Is said TO
the contrary, has never worn eyegass. Among the
other prominent people In the Old World who wear
mOnocles the young Duke Of Orleans, Count
Kalnoky, the Austrian Chancellor. and Mr.. Chamber
lain, the English statesman. While the latter, how
ever, his glass attached 10 elastic cord, Count
Kalnoky dispcnses with either cord ribbon alto
gether 1t seems TO remain permanently fixed In his
eye and he hns been known To retain 1t when
thrown from his horse In the hunting field.
Several OF the rcgnDg monarchs indulge In the use
OF SpcCtafIeS anu uolUc eyfRiHsses, MUMMY queen
Victoria when she IS reading the King OF Denmark, the
Gar the Queen Regent OF Holland and also the young
King Of Servia, whose sight Is extremely defective
The Queen Regent Of Spain Is very shortslghtcd and
makes free use OF her double eyeglass. &c. too, docs
the Archduchcss Maria Therese, future Empress OF
Austria, well several members OF the house OF
liaIsburg. King Leopold OF Belgium Invariably has
his pnce-nez stuck on the bridge Of his extremely
long and prominent when reading do the
Emperor Of Austria and the king OF Sweden d,sdan
the assistance Of glasses OF this kind when writing
Among the most peculiar glasses worn by any Euro
pean personagcs those OF Mr. Goschcn Lord Sails
bury's Chancellor OF the ExcheqIer. They were OF an
ancient and somewhat Chinese type with thick horn
rims, typical altogether OF the Wing proclivties OF
their owner
THEY DEFINED OLD kAID."
From The Boston Globe.
70 No, ant .It,v