The morning call., 1894-02-04

4t~bSOhCN ObNS NOQlu Dc GNulpIUluleC
n one country would have the effr0ntery
to urge that its own methods of dong
business are the best for legislative ends
and the management of debate. Each
would have many suggestions to make,
and the aggregate compendium for guild
ance would be eclectic. yet by no means
perfect. Faults would soon appear, from
the fact that parliamentarans are by no
means so anxious to adhere strictly TO
rules and to be fair as 10 succeed and to
carry their points. When the opposition
is fierce and party spirit Is bitter the most
ingenious rules, the most obligatory cour-
tesies of debate will not prevent nlious-
tering and smart practice to jockey vote.
The proverbial "bear garden" is OCCASION
ally an entertainment IN every legislative
chamber in the world.
A CORES pondent of the London Chron-
icle has described his impressions of Con-
gress on the day when the Presidents
message was reed. From the fact that
there is so much in contrast with the
English Parliamentary methods his sketch
is very interesting reading TO the British
public, whose thirst for Information in
their newspapers is quite as keen as that
of the American public. Let us reverse
the process and say something about the
House of Commons, as 10 which there are
very haZy notions among zine out of ten
who have not studied its methods by actual
sightseeing.
The chief first impression one forms
about the House of Commons is its ex-
clusiveness. 1t is a chamber for its MEM
bers, and they are supposed to muster for
business. About $50 of the public are
privileged to enter by ticket solemnly
given out by the sergeant-a-arms and
Speaker upon application from members.
There is just little gallery for peers,
about score of whom may have seats in
il or may stand at the head of the stairs,
but their lordshipS have no privileges of
any kind on the floor of the House or in
the side galleries. and would be expelled
by the messengers" as the sergeants
deputies are termed. il caught trespassing.
There Is lsO a gallery in three divisions
for ladies, but they can only look through
lattice work, as II they were in a cage,
and may push their nose through or
finger. but no more. This is shamefully
exclusive. The reporters and c0rrespOn-
dents OF the press have gallery all to
themselves, looking down on the House
from above the Speakers chair. That
also is very exclusive. An intruder is as
much in danger of martyrdOm as If he
were caught in the Stock Exchange.
Congress is the reverse of exclusive. 1t
is perhaps too free TO everybody. On the
day Mr.. Cleveland's message was read the
floor of the Fl use one hour before noon,
when the session begins, was thrOnged
with groups of the public Intimately mixed
up with the members, standing. sitting,
chatting. laughing, very much as people
would do in the lobby Of MOTEL. Ladies
and children were extracting amusement
from posing in the big swinging chairs of
mem bers; lobbyists were buzz ng around;
storytelling was in vogue, and many of the
stories, Judging from the peas of laughter
were distinctly good, and especially those
which came from the genial Mr.. Reed of
Maine. The Speakers throne is in no
sense sacred out of session. Officials were
congregated around it. and the swarm of
private secretaries had possession If the
CLERKS desk. AS TO the public who survey
the scene from the galleries, there were
about 2000 of them, and the correspondent
notes that considerable number are sure
10 be coloTed men who have nothing par
ticular to do and who live heaven knows
how"
The pages running hither and thither
are a feature of Congress utterly un-
known in the House of Commons. These
boys fit about the desks, carrying bou-
quetS as big as a cabbage for mem bers
bringing IN letters, bearing messages,
coming and going without fear or favor
and knowing no sacred places. In the
House of Commons members sit on cush-
ioned benches like boys in school. but
have no desks. II they have bouquets to
admire they must bring them IN them
selves. The messengers do not cross the
bar and come within the House proper
except with fear and foreboding and for a
direct purpose not otherwise to be accom-
plished. If they have a note or letter to
deliver they pass it TO other members who
hand he mssive head over head TO the
proper recipient. The very sergeant-at-
arms, in knee-breeches, with black rosette
on his back and sword in scabbard dam
CLING at his side, dues not cross the bar ex-
m hn Fpr
the purpose of shifting the large gilt mace
at the end of the table. When the mace Is
up the House is in session: when the mace
is down the House is in committees; when
the mace is away the House is up. SO the
function has some utility behind its sOlem-
nifty and the three stiff bows.
The House of Representatives also has
mace. 1t is hung against the wall at two
minutes past r. noon. to signify that the
House is in session. The sergeant-at-arms
also has the DUTY of clearing he floor Of
all n0n-members at quarter before y.
But the mace is hung up before the
Speaker takes the chair. In the House of
Commons the Speaker takes the chair first.
Both houses have prayers, but in quite a
different manner. After Speaker Crisp
has called out, The House will now come
10 order" the chaplain offers up PRAYER
for five minutes, and our correspondent
critic noticed that the memb bers were not
very attentive. and that some of them read
newspapers the while. In the House of
Commons the chaplain enters with the
Speaker and sergeant-ai-arms in process
sion and the doors are closed to all when
prayers begin. Members all stand during
prayers, their faces turned toward the wall
and the different rows gazing upon the
backs of those behind. The Conservatives
look toward the wall Oh their side and the
Liberals toward the wall on the other
side.
Members are seemingly attentive, but
the real purpose of many in coming to
prayers is to secure a seat. The House is
not large enough to afford sitting accom-
moo atioDs to GO members. On great occa-
si0ns there is a struggle for seats, and a
member who comes to prayers and after
ward deposits his hat or dummy hat on
the place he covets, aud pins his card ou
the back of the bench in front, has pre-
scriptve right to have his seat respected
The only members who have no such
struggle to discharge their functions are
the members of the Government, who
have the front bench on the right of the
Speaker all to themselves, and the men,
bers of the late Government, who, in opDo-
sition. have the front bench on the left f
the Speaker reserved for them. Yet there
is not enough room for all. On big nights
all sorts of members straddle about behind