The herald., 1894-01-16
AN ODD REGULATION.
HOW THE HOUSE or COMMONS oETs
MEMBERS TO PRAYERS.

PIety Not Always tho Incentive to Punctu
ality-spurred by the Desire to SIT Dur
ing the Days ProceedinEs-The cerc
monial of Opening the House.
The house of commons is unique
among tae legislatures of the world in
having ro complete accommodation fol
its members. There are altogether 67s
members of the house, and there are
exactly 430 seats, of which only 300
are on the floor. The speaker takes the
chair at clock, except on Wednes
days, and unless the house has agreed
to what are called morning sittings," "
which begin at 2o'clock. Three O'Clock
is sufficiently late in the afternoon,
Judging by the example of other legis-
latures, but it is too early for the meu
of business, the practicing lawyers and
the men of fashion, who still form Sc
large factor in the membership of par
Lament. 1t is rarely therefore that
there are more than 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 we'll 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
box which contains 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 Of
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
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 un-
derstood, two peculiarities under these
circumstances about the attendance at
prayers. First, the gentlemen usually
present are not always those most dis
tinguished for their piety. The caustic
editor of Truth has taken in recent
years to laying the foundation stones Of
nonconformist places of worship, but
nobody would be less likely to set up
claim for special piety than Mr.. Labou-
chere. Nevertheless, every night OF
the week Mr. Labouchere listens with
pious attention to the ministrations of
the chaplain. The secret reason is that
the first seat ON the front bench below
the gangway is place peculiarly we'll
suited for the guerrilla that is ever on
the watch for the moment to make an
onslaught ON wicked administration,
and Mr.. Labouchere, as the chief of the
guerrillas, is especially fond of this seat
and has occupied it for years. This
incum bency, though sanctified by SO
many years of usage, has still to be won
by regular attendance at every even
ipg's prayers. The rule is infexible,
except in the cases already mentioned,
that a seat can be held only for one
night, and that then it shall be won by
attendance at prayers. The second pc
culiarity is that the men who are most
in want Of the assistance of prayers, as
having the heaviest responsib bility upon
their shoulders-the members of the ad-
ministration and the leaders of parties
are always conspicuously absent.
Just before prayers are begun the
procession of the speaker to his place
in the house takes place. Enough Of
the old ceremonial still exists to make
this a quaint and interesting spectacle.
The speaker still wears the large, full
bottomed wig of state occasions, is
dressed in short tailed coat, covered
by sweeping robe, wears knee breeches
and low shoes with large buckles. Be-
hind and before him is small cohort
of attendants-the sergeant-at alarms
bearing the mace, the chaplain with
prayerbook in hand, the trainbearer
holding up the train and two or three
other attendants, the exact purpose of
whom it is impossible to tell beyond
the desire to make the procession more
imposing in point of numbers. The
ergeart-at-arms, like the speaker, is
arrayed in knee breeches, with low
8 oes. He carries sword by his side,
but is allowed to dispense with the wig.
The ceremonial is made more imposing
by the policemen and attendants, who
shout along the corridors which sepa-
rate the speakers house from the house
of commons: 'Speakeri Speakerr' q
shout which has strange, indefinable
effect, however often heard, and stirs
the blood somewhat as the dreams OF
De Quincy were moved by the recol-
lection of the Roman consul passing
over the Appian way. 1t sounds like
"reminiscences and momentary embodi-
ment of all the fierce struggle, oratorial
triumphs, tragic and world shaking
events which are associated with the
history of the august parliament Of
Great Britain.
When the speaker reaches the lobby,
the chief of the police force attached to
the house repeats the cry, Speaker"
with. the additional words, Hats off,