Connecticut western news., 1895-11-07
HOUSE ETIQUETTE.
HATS PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART IN
 PARLIAMENT.

No Member Is Allowed to Read . News-
 paper-Old Customs That Arc Still Ad-
 hered To-Nearly TOO Members, With
 Seats For Only $50.
 When a new member makes his first ap- pearanoe In the house of commons, he has to be escorted to<the table to take the oath by two other members of parliament. This IS one of the immemorial usages of the house of commons. It originated in Q far remote past when 1t was really neces- sary in order to prevent personation that two members of the house should identify the claimant of a seat after a byelection as the person named in the writ of the re- turning officer.
 The precaution has been unnecessary for many Q year. But such is the reluctance of the house of commons to part with any of its quaint and antique ceremonies that 1t is still retained, and though a represent ative may come to the bar of the house as the unanimous choice of a constituency of 10, 900 electors and produce his credentials he will not be permitted to take his seat unless he can get two members to act as his sponsors.
 Dr. Kenealy, the famous counsel for "the claimant" presented himself at the bar unattended after his election for Spoke upon-Trent in February, 1875. The speak CT informed him of the usage of the house, and as he could not get two members to accompany him to the table he was obliged to leave
 It was only by special resolution of the house. moved by MT. Disraeli, its leader at the time, that Dr. Kenealy was allowed to take his seat without complying with the usual practice.
 When men assemble together in social life, as in 8 theater or at a meeting, the ordinary custom is to uncover while they are seated and to don their hats as they enter or leave the place.
 In parliamentary life that rule is revers- cd. Members can wear their hats only when they are seated on the benches. As they widk to the seats or rise to leave the chamber they must be uncovered. This custom is the source of much confusion and embarrassment to new members.
 The house never fails to show It's resent ment of breach of its etiquette however slight. It will, without distinction of par ty, unanimously roar with indignation at new member who, ignorant or unmind full of the parliamentary custom, wears his hat as he walks down the floor of the chamber.
 An offending member, startled by the shout which greeted him as he was leaving the chamber with his hat on his head in- stead of his hand, paused in the middle of the floor and looked around with a min gled expression of fright and perplexity. "Hat, hat!" shouted the house.
 This only embarrassed him the more. He felt his trousers pockets and his coat tails for the offending article of attire. He even looked at his feet to see if he were | k~.~A lt L.. It is impossible to conjecture what might have happened further had not Dr. Tanner walked up to the offending member, and amid the loud laughter of the house polite ly took of his hat and then handed it to him with courtly bow.
 Tho hat plays many important parts in parliamentary customs. It also contrib utes occasionally to tho gayety of life in | the house of commons. No incident is greeted with more hearty laughter than the spectacle of member, after a magnif1- cent peroration, pumping down on his silk hat on the bench behind him. The bashful and awkward member gen. erally figures in those accidents, but the misfortune has befallen even old and cool parliamentary hands like MT. Chamber lain and Sir William Harcourt and has completely spoiled the effects of few of their most eloquent speeches.
 | A few years ago MT. R. G. Webster, membe for East St. Pancras, sat down after his maiden speech on a new silk hat, which he had provided in honor of theaus- picious occasion, and as he was ruefully surveying his battered headgear, to the amusement of the unfeeling spectators, MT. Edward Harrington, an Irish repre- | sentative, rose and grayely said, MT. Speaker, permit me to congratulate the stance that when he sat on his hat his head was not in It." The strident call of "Or- der, orderr' from the speaker was drown. ed in roars of laughter.
 In probably every other legislative cham Der in the world each member has a special seat allotted to him. But though there are 670 members in the commons the chamber strangely enough, was built to accommodate only about half that number, | and the only members who are certain oi seats are ministers and ex-ministers, the occupants respectively of the treasury bench and the first opposition bench.
 The consequence Is that on occasions of great interest there is always a scramble for places. A large crowd of members gathered at Westminster in the early morn ing of the evening on which Mir. Gladstone introduced the home rule bill of 1892, and when, after hours of waiting, the door giv- Ing immediate entrance to the chamber vas opened at a. m., so mad was the | rush for seats that several members were crushed knocked down and t1ampled | mon -Ohambars' Journal