New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-31

THE RIGHT HONORABLE ARTHUR wELLES.
LEY PEEL.
monNs been principal Whip In 1880 he left tina
Home Office. not, it believed. finding Sir Will
lam Harcourt an absolutely IDEAL chief That fact
however. If fac; ii be. did not prevent Sir William
from warmly supporting his claim 10 the Speaker
ship in 1854.
To the general public the personality OF the new
Speaker was hardly known. He was the youngest
son Of the great Minister Of the same name. Hs
had been. If not exactly silent member. sparing
and lnfrequen; contributor to debate. Nor, though
his remarks were always sensible and his argu-
mants well expressed had his speeches arrested any
particular attention either in the House or IN the
country. His brother members held him IN hlsn
esteem AMI much less surprised than tner
constituents at AIr Gladstone's choice Still, the
nomination was not expected, and doubts OF JUS
wisdom were freely expressed They did not last
very long When Mr.. Peel had been proposes, Sec
oaded and unanimously chosen, he delivered an adj
dress which took the House by storm. 1t was not
only admirable In taste, temper ana tone Ddt
clothed In fellclous diction and uttered with impos-
Ing dignity OF demeanor The perfect manners Oh
Lord Fampden oMr. Brand had accustomed the
House Of Commons TO high-bred courtesy from
their presiding officer. In the new Speaker they
found that. and some thlng more. Ills me presence
and sonorous voice were accompanied by CERTAIN
lofty stateliness II this quiet representative OF
sleepy Midland borough. since amalgamated win
the fashionable watering-pace OF bennington. had
hep
s,,ti,n 10 appear one day In fIblown majesty az
ri~st Commoner OF the realm More austere ard
frieid in department than Lord Hampden. MT Peel
never forgot h.s position. and sometimes magnlhed
his Office
IorI Holland said that he had known only
SNEAKER OF tirst-rate ability. and that the worst
Sneaker he had ever known. He referred to Lord
Granville whom Lord Rosebery IN mis- LIE o.
PIT" describes IN unusually di9parasins terms sr
Gilbert Elliott first Earl OF Mlnto, had an oher OF
the post AZ the age OF thirty five. But II ne ever
had any idea OF taking it he soon laughed OUT
~ the notion by his lively AMI Ambitious WIFE,
C,evernass j. not indispensable quahS IN
Sneaker lie l. assisted by the clerks in case OF
difficulty He has counsel TO advise him on penis
az law abundance ~ precsdonts hedge ms course
and preserve him from going far astray lie mas
plenty Of time In which TO make up his mind' uhess
vsrv exceptional circums ances should suddeny
arise and then has the adv antage oi oeihs aus
10 impose his viii on all the comoliah'S' Inc ~
sentaI qualities in Speaker are courtesy dignity
imperturbabil,ty. and fairness Of nina. ne mus o
I'm the real. not in conNerilon9l sense Vi '"e
word A gentleman He must be able to detacn MIN
self from, party strife. and from personal predlec-
lions He mus; never e; technicahties' SO far as no
can control them. stand in the way OF justice ne
must have the spirit Of a Judge without the "'"i
OF a lawyer ~
ur Sneaker Peel earned for himself In a very
short time very great reputation. lie MADE ms
,okes as when he showed that he had read a fooisn
attack upon himself by very inconSderape Mei"-
her OF Parliament. But his errors were not humer-
ous and they were Clearly the buhders OF an I'M
nulsive generous high-mniei man. that they rather
increased his influence and popularity than other-
wise Not very long after his appointment num-
her Of Tories almost drove him u resign by Young
against the Closure and neary defeating H. mat
IL mast b. remembered was when the C.osure
could only be put the Speakers initiative acting
on what he conceived to be the general sense OF the
,asa no Sppl <C
collision OF the Liberal leaders especIaiy
his old friend Sir William HlrccGrt. More receh"y
he caused some resentment by reading the I"peta'
party a lecture the Improperly OF multpH"s '"'
sructlons when a bill goes into committee
These were specks the sun. ana snaH spoons
too Nobody or at least nobody whose OPINION IL
worth having suspected the Speaker OF CONSCIOUS
partiality. His fault was rather that ne loon 'oo
much interest in things. and made hlmseii respoi'
sble for what really belonged TO the jurisdiction Oh
,ha .I,us. ifself The old-fashionsd Speaker sat
Ike n stuffed figure and only moved. II the phrase
may be pardoned when he was pui'eu WIN
string But Mr.. Peel was extremely Je'iou' vi
tho honor authority and decorum OF the assembly
over which he presided. MS tauit II taui, IL WIS.,
uas merely too great a zeal in behalf OF the House
itself.
The Office OF Speaker is believed to be conten'-
norary with the physical division OF Parliament
into two separate houses The ancient rolls OF
Parliament however jejune documents. They
that were actually passed emitting all matters Oh
details The office OF Speaker Is not mentioned IN
any OF those documents till the year 1870 Or
Thomas Hungerford. the first Speaker OF the House
of Commons whose name has been recorded Is
termed in the roll OF Parliament the ''parlour OF
mouth OF the House. This word conveys in Use"
an ample definition Of the Office. and has been 50
regarded by constitutional authorities on HISTORICAL
occasions A..
The great dignity of his Office confers upon 'hs
SNEAKER a high personal status. From the period OF
the Revolution ne has been the First Commoher
en- the realm Ever since" said Townsend. tine
statute | Will and NJ. &. 81 the Speaker has con-
sant,y taken place next TO peers OF Great Brita,"
M a times both In and Out Of Parliament In All pun
li commissions he Is ranked, and has the prvVe1
dance AZ the Council table as n Prvy CouhcliIoI y
Though on common occasions the Speaker gives
Mace TO Irish peers and those who by courtesy
lake rank before some peers OF the realm, as soas
Of Dukes and Marquises yet In all commlssions
nv act OF Parliament he IL named before them, am
40 ought TO be on all solemn and national OCCASIONS
In 1894 II ordered that In the procession
AT Queen Marys funeral no person do intervene
between the Speaker and the House or Lords
The Speakers salary IL fixed at the clear yearly
sum OF $4,000 BY the same statute he Is disqua.
Aed from holding any office o. profit under tne
crown A more recent statute still further secures
the dignity and independence OF the Speaker ny
making his salary payable out OF the Consolldateo
Fund.