The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-26
STRANGERS IN THE HOUSE.
A Parliamentary Incident That ConvuIs
the House of Commons.

Parliamentary Incident That ConvuIsed
the House of Commons.
AT one time, much more than of late
| years, his royal highnoss was a constant
visitor 10 the house of commons, his pleas
| ant presence beaming from the center seat
of the peers gallery, Immediately over the
ghck. During the turbulent times that
Marked the birth of the Parnellite party
he frequently dropped in to watch the re-
curing crises. This habit gave the lute
Mr.. Joseph ellis Biggar an opportunity
of distinguishing himself above his fell
lows. One Tuesday evening in the early
spring of 1875 Mr.. Chaplin, then u private
member, secured first place for motion
relating TO the breed of horses. The Prince
Of Wales, accompanied 10y "a numerous suit
of peers whose faces were familiar ut New
market and Epson, came down To hear
the speech and the debate. 1t was great
opportunity for Mr. Chaplin, and be was
evidently prepared TO rise TO it. Uniortu-
nately for him be had CHANGED some days
earlier to offend MIR Biggar. Joey g.,
the member for Cavan, like the rCdOuht-
able Joe BaPstock. was sly, dev fish sly.
If Mr.. Chaplin saw his opportunity, Joe
not only deserted 1t, but seized it first.
Mr.. Chaplin had risen, fixed his eyeglasS,
smitten himself reassuringly on his portly
chest, had coughed in prelude to his open
ing sentence, when from below the gang.
way opposite well known shrill voice
was heard eXclaiming, "Mr. Speaker, sir,
l believe there are strangers in the house. -
For a moment the crowded cham her
was hushCd in dismayCd silence. The
speaker broke ii by inquiring whether the
honorable member for Cavan persisted in
his intention of noticing strangers. "If
you please, Mr.. Speaker, " said Mr.. Biggar
with encouraging nod toward the chair.
Then the anger of the house found issue
in roar of contumoly, through which
was heard the supplementary, almost
unprecedented, sound of Kissing. Honor
able members might just as usefuily have
sat down by the rivers brink and shouted
"Stopl" to the falls of Niagara. At that
time there was in force the medieval or
der which required the immediate and alb
solute withdrawal of strangers from every
part of the house upon an individual
member taking note of their presence.
Mr.. Biggar was master of the situation,
and few human faces offered an opening
for exceeding the breadth of his smile as
he surveyed it.
The speaker had no option. He must
needs order strangers to withdraw. There.
upon the Prince of Wales, the German
ambassador, who happened to be in the
diplomatic gallery, and the crowd of peers,
boasting the bluest blood in England,
were compelled to scuttle Mr.. Biggar
had his fun, but the house of commons
reaped permanent benefit from the prank.
He brought into broad daylight the alb
surdity of the ancient custom, which was
thenceforward doomed. The privilege of
spying strangers is no longer counted
among the possessions of individual mem
bers of the house of commons. Strangers
may today be excluded, but only upon mo-
tion duly made and carried by majority.
H. W. Lucy in North American Review.