The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-03
LOADED WITH DIGNITY
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COM
MONS A POLITICAL NONENTITY,
but His Office Gives Opportunity for
Abundance of Pomposity md Pa
rade-Some of His Functions.


perhaps more potent than any other office
on earth. unless it is the presidency of the
United States-was there so much excite
ment in the political world here as now
over the new Speaker of the House of
Commons, an almost purely honorary posi-
ton.
The British Speaker does not. as with
the Speaker of the American House of Rep
resentatives, appoint committees, nor has
he the least control, directly indirectly,
over legislation. Yet the discussion over
successor to Speaker Peel fills the news
papers daily, is almost much talked of
at the clubs as would be the accession of
Albert Edward to the throne, and apparent
ly interests the common people" more
than any political event since the last gen.
eral election.
The functions of the Speaker are two
fold and are clearly defined. In the chair
he is expected to act with judicial imparti-
atty and with the frmness and sense Of
responsibility begotten of the knowledge
that the majority will enforce his judgment
to any point necessary. The. Speaker can
rebuke a member and order him to desist
from speaking if his conduct is unruly, but
il the member defies his authority he can
not be removed from the House even Tor
the sitting, without a vote being taken.
Should such a vote result in a majority
against the Speaker he would instantly re-
Sign--but no such case has arisen IN the
present century.
In order to maintain his influence over
the House it is essential that ne snoulo NOT OF
the minority either, but he must reconcne
as satisfactorily as may be the rights or the
one with the necessary domination or the
other He is the representative of the
House of Commons on all state occasions
Immediately on his election, and wnen
of her faithful Commons ne proceeds 10
the ban. of the House of Lords to demand nan,
the reaf1irmation by that house OF the priv
ileges of the lower house. His position, in
its way. possesses a greater prestige and
not excepting the Lord Chancellor. because
the Speaker represents the business END Oh
the legislature.
GIVES SWELL STAG PARTIrS.
Then there is the social side of the posi-
ton. He is provided with palatial man.
sion, furnished and fully equipped for en-
pertaining on large scale. within the Pal
ace of Westminster, where he resides dur
ing his term of office. In addition to
series of levees, which the members of the
House attend without invitation, he gives
parliamentary dinner every Wednesday
during the session, to which all members
are in turn bidden-or were until recent
years.
The first dinner is given to the Ministers,
the next to the leaders OF the opposition,
and SO on down through the whole gamut
of the go members These are bachelor en-
tertainments exclusively, and no one is ever
Speakers chaplain and secretary The last
dinner of all is given to the clerks of the
House.
The first break in this time-honored Gus
tom under which each member of the House
attended the levees and one of the dinners
occurred in 1881, when the first Irish party
under ParneH came into violent collision
with the then speaker. Parnell and his col
leagues formally decided to decline the
usual invitation to dine with Mi. Speaker
and as it is pretty well known that, the
ynitn or.f ha will
court suit such as is de rigueur at these
functions, the invitation has never been
most amicable terms with Mr.. Peel since
the introduction of Gladstones first home
rule bill
Amusing stories are still current how,
before the rupture, the late Mr.. Biggar
was wont to hire court suit on these
OCCASIONS come down from his lodgings
to the House the top of a street car
and alight opposite the gate OF Palace
low-passengers who on one occasion mis-
took him for the Speaker himself, owing
to his attire. ,s -
example of the Irishmen and do not at
tend the dinners, simply because or the
Speaker has instituted couple of undress
Ievees for their special behalfv-though even
these the Irish members do not attend
TO the exercise OF this species of paternal
despotism over the House and the discharge
of these hospitable functions towards ms
cole agles the duties of the Speaker are con-
fined. He has not a particle OF political IN
ffuence: he is unable to make or unmake
the reputation or position of any member;
his patronage is confined to few inconsid-
cradle offices about the House; he has abso-
luteiy share whatever in determining
what legislation shall be brought forward
or in moulding public opinion and yet the
position has been invested with so much
historic dignity that the Speaker is. IN real
ity as well as in title "the first commoner
in England
1t was predicted that the Introduction of
the closure would alter the character of tie
Speakership, and make its incumbent a
mere party hack. But Mr. Peefs expert
ence has disproved that vaticination. A sem
tirnent of self-preservation, or self-glorifica-
ton, if you like, operates to preserve the
glamor of the position untainted. In honor
ing the Speaker members are in way OBJ
liquely complinenting themselves. and the
surest and most unfailing appeal OF a
Speaker in a difficult position is to implore
the House Sin its own interest to support
good deal of ceremonial formality still
surrounds the Office. The Speaker when in
the chair wears court dress-a full-bottomed
wig and a sword. His full-dress robes are
Rolls, with which high and ancient judicial
office the Speakership was for long time
associated.
LOTS OF FUSS WHEN HE MOVES
The taking of the chair each day is made
the occasion of slight, but not unimpres-
sive pageant A procession is formed in
the Speakers residence, and this procession
passes through a series of lengthy corri-
it enters the House. First comes two at
tendants in court uniform; they are fol-
lowed by the sergeant-at-arms, bearing the
mace-the emblem of royal authority; after
the mace comes the Speaker, with his
three-cornered hat in his hand and his train
borne by another attendant, and finally
come the Speakers chaplain-Archdeacon
Farrar, one of the most eminent of Eng
lish divines-and his secretary, the direct
| heir to an earldom. AS the procession APP
proaches the policemen cry out: way for
| Mr.. Speakeri' and when he enters the
| lobby. where members and strangers are
around, the inspector of police roars out in
| stentorian tones: Hats off, strangersr'
Then when Black Rod-the emissary OF
| the House of I4ords-conaeS to summon the
| Speaker and the Commons to attend at the
| bar of the upper house for some formal
| purpose. the Speaker gives another example
! of his Independent authority. When Black
Rod-usuaIly some doddering old swell who
1 wants the E1,000 a year attached to the
! posts seen approaching the lobby. the
/ Speaker orders the doors of the chamber
1 to be closed, and Black Rod is not admitted
| until he has humoly knocked three times
! that he is admitted By grace, not by right
| Then he walks up the floor. delivers his
summons and retires backward, bowling
| three tunes to the House and the Speaker
| When he has got below the bar, the Speak
/ er eondescendingly joins him. and. escorted
by the mace, they walk together to the
bar OF the Lords, followed by such mem
bers care 10 so
The mace. as has been said, is the EN-