The Portland daily press., 1898-02-24
THE ENGLISH HOUSE OF LORDS.
Compared with Our senate-Methods of
Conducting Business in the Two Rodies.
(From the New York SUM-

brlUlSn house Of Lords, has just returned
home after visit of several weeks TO this
country. In the course of his trip MIR.
mcdonnell visited Washington, and was
thus enabled to make comparison be-
tween the methods of our own aristo-
cratic Senate and the august body with
which he is officially connected
Chow do the methods of conducting
business in the House of Lords compare
with those OF the American Senate?'' he
was asked.
"Well, in reality" said the clerk to the
British peers, there isn't as much differ
ence as you, would imagine. 1t doubtless
willssurprise most Americans, as Il know
it would most Englishmen, to know that
the two houses get through their work in
the same way to large extent
| ~ will confess that was little dis
appointed in your Senate. I expected ITO
| find fire, eloquence, animated debate, and
I didn't get it. Perhaps it was because
| there was no great question on for con
sideration at the time of my visit. AS |
saw it, the chamber was certainly very
| Qu16U, anu UllSE0 WdS llO ldSh vi QlShAOy
and deooraln in it's conduct. I did not
see any drawn revolvers, bowie knives. or
| fist fights, such as wes havo sometimes
heard about in England. Perhaps some
of those were myths.
81 have admitted that / didn't find the
American Senate altogether as had
fancied it, and I dare say that you would
be even more disappointed when you
looked into the House of Lords
but isn't there much more ceremony
in the work of the peers?"
Ordinarily, no. on certain occasions,
yes" replied Mr.. mcdonnell. "There
seems to be a notion more or less preva-
lent over here that the mem bers OF the
Lords sit about on separate thrones, clad
in robes of state, and with coronets on
their heads. In reality, the peers usually
sit in morning dress, and not always
very correct dress at that. The members
wear their hats in the chamber. though
nobody else is permitted to remain covered
there. Most of the regular attendants are
buried in papers, and they speak, as your
senators do, ike barristers trying to bring
out their points clearly rather than with
any attempt at eloquence. The numbers
in attendance seem to be very nearly the
same, though, of course, the membership
of the House of Lords is much greater.
There are about $50 eligible voters now,
but the largest vote that has been record
ed in recent years was about $50, think.
That was on Mr. Gladstone's home rule
measure, which was summarily thrown
out by a great majority.
"Of course, the peers have certain offices
and certain formal functions which are
inherited, and some of these require a
great deal of ceremony. For example,
the formal notification of the royal assent
is one Of these, and when the assent of
the crown to any list of measures is to be
formally expressed, thu Lords commits
sioners attend the chamber in state-that
is to say, IN their robes--and sit together
at one side of the room. The speaker of
the Commons and his attendants are also
present IL the space reserved for them.
At table midway between these two
groups are the clerk of Parliament and
the clerk of the crown. The latter holds
in his hand list of bills; and before
reading each title he bows first to one and
then the other Of these groups, so that II
his list is long one, he gets good bit
of exercise out of. the performance. After
each title he repeats the words, lie reyne
le yeult,' 1.-THE Queen assents). The words
and in fact, the whole ceremony, are
given exactly as they were in the first
Parliaments.
''TWo years ago an attempt was made
to modify this ceremony, to the tegtent OF
having the words pronounced in English,
but it was not done, and the sentence is
still spoken in it's Norman French form.
"There are certain peouliarities in the
manner of conducting debate in the House
of Lords not found in most legislative
chambers. For instance, member on
rising to speak, does not address the chair
but invariably begins, My lords. Thus,
if two members wish to speak at the same
time, the lord chancellor does not decide
who shall have the floor. One gives way
of his own accord, or else some other
mem Der calls out which shall continue.
In a body like the Commons or your own
Congress this arrangement might not
work we'll, but among the peers there is
never any difficulty over it.
"Another popularity of the Lords is
that the sittings are very brief compared
with those of other houses. The peers do
not convene until 4. 10 in the afternoon,
and rise in time for diuner at 6. This is
because the Lords have q small amount
of business to consider compared with the
vast bulk that passes through the hands
of the Commons.
ssWhen the lord chancellor himself
wishes to speak, he steps aside from his
accustomed. place during his address
There is curious reason for this. 1t is
that the woolsack is technically consid-
cred as outside the House of Lords. 1t
has happened ON one or two occasions that
ii has been occupied by one who was not
s'What is the woolsackT'
"The woolsack is the name given to. the
lord cbancellor's seat. 1t is a crimson
cushion, with no side or back support,
and not especially comfortable to sit
unon. The name comes from the fact
that the longest and most finely combed
fleece in England was once used for its
covering. There are several other terms
neculiar to the House of Lords which are
not generally understood. For instance,
the PAINTED chamber is not picture gal
lery. 1t is the room where the peers and
Commons are supposed to meet when they
oome together in conference. AS these
conferences have been dispensed with, 1t
is not used for that now. 1t takes it's
name from the rich frescoes and paint
inas, and is called the painted room in
contrast with the chamber in which the
peers transact their regular business. The
latter is known as the 'gilded room,' on
account of its gold decorations. Pitt was
accustomed to speak of the House of
Lords as the Tapestry referring to the
many rich tapestries with which the
chambers are hung"
1.-THE House of Lords is also the
supreme court of England, is it not?''
ttHlla To xrr 1or1c elf aS n court of annual