The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18
LAWMAKING IN CANADA.
sPECTx Gle OFFERED ny THE HOUSE
or OoMhONs AT OTTAWA.


the Start-Simplicity Itself After That
The Member Who Objected to
Being Styled "Reverent"-The IMAM
awered Observation-Disclosures and Politics.
Parliament meets in the afternoon at Ottawa.
takes recess for supper, reassem bes and sits
far into the night, unless some one gets tired.
just at the opening Of tho House the scene is
the least bit stately and i'm posing. but only for
moment when the Sergeant at Arms enters
bearing the great mace. the en- blom OF au-
thoritv. followed by Sir James Edgnr. author
and poet. who is the dignihed Speaker OF
the Canadian Commons. Whom tho mace is
placed upon the green cloth-covered table sir
James takes the chair. the hiRh-backed hand
carved chair. that will never be occupied by any
other Speaker. Not that the incum bent has
a life job. but because. when he goes he
takes the chair away with him. His successor
will have a new one. That is one OF the rules
Of the House.
The moment the House settles down to bust
ness 1t becomes simplicity itself. II the people
of a staid Canadian town were assembled to
discuss ways and means for the purchase OF a
new cart the participants could not be less
self-conscious or more at ease. than are these
far. called members OF Parliament.
The cham Der in which the lower house sits
Is very like that Of the House OF Representa-
tives at Washingt on. The Speaker sits in the
same position. at one side. but the seats do
not circle they stand in rows parallel with
the Speakers glance as he looks out over the
level space where the secretaries and short
hand men. called Hansard men here. do their
work.
The seats all have desks In front Of them.
where the members write letters home ex-
plaininR why. when they ought to be listening
to the Opposition goading the Government.
t.,f
with their hats on and neckties up behind. as
carelessly as the NJ Pc lounge in London.
But / like the way they run tho show. It's
all open; every Minister must be a member
and be on hand to explain things away. In
this way they keep their scandals pretty we'll
cleared up. instead OF keeping them sup
pressed until the cans begin to explode.
The first six seats in the front row to tho
right and to the left Of the speaker are hand
ters. the ins and the outs-the ms to the right
and the outs to the left Always In the sixth
fssi s 9 and directly YPG G
ats the ex Premier. the enerable Sir Charles
ThupneT ba,Gnet a. End g. Leader Of
hind The ex.Prsmier his son. Sir Charles Hib-
Now as we sit in the gallery and my Scottish
irs9d who has kindly consented d, to be my
d they sasn
than has been" That big man there. with one one
o Soa q and the r short 'G man
with careless hair is from Edmonton.
and midnish sSn The eH neat smeoth
' oo@es iro@ Brisish Golnmbie toot I'm
eighteen months to csny Uan his district. and
scotchman added. but one OF his legs is
longer than the other now,
,o io Object loo-Ieet" said blond man. and
What is i the honorable gentleman objects
Il object to the honorable Rentleman's con-
slant reference to me as the Rev-erent Mr..
, The man who bad committed the breach
bne h OF the Gospel sh8nld Object to
nentary. ordered i all rubbed out and in
6rdan9gy e a
gentleman" and TIE Incident was closed.
the s %ndkng IS shf r E OF
ment now. poor ohsp Hes as dropping and
you you should see him on the left. when hes aein
the Government'-his righteous wrath over
the Jensss Of the Conservatives is magnificent
But tell me, Mac" said !. why did the
honorable gentleman on the LEFT call The hon.
MIR. Blank 2"
Oh. he's a reformed re.byterian preacher.
away out on the Pacific coast. and this oppor-
tunity came he was competent and knew II. so
and run tee
e eS nqG sa6dg or tho he
S Mo- Of which he y -
Ishsd spesEsIs p the HoSss. 'sts: the lead in
Bart, and asks The Minister OF the Interior
Why he has employed new man In certain
year. when there we're ,wenty-six employees
in that deDsEmsnt w al In prGmOt9n ~,
was all Greek, TO me, but I could see by the
ts Of ss wd 5nr he
subside. but he did nothing Of the sort. He
spoke at length. declaring that the Ho9oEabs
e1Pan and %i " The Minister tred again but nt to
no PURPOSE; He wanted to know why this man
St the oS SInsr at e9S
our kind OF folks" he would have said but MIR.
sifton seemed never to think OF that. II that
Now, Mr; Fosters questions became almost
exasperating to me. and Mr.. siftons replies
could be. never so much ss moving hand to-
ward their hip pockets.
ad%S Sen b. got the Msssr r sn&
tell. and we strolled out
,o As we gained the open Mac turned and
story" said he. " II the days when Sir John
the great Sir John Macdonald-was Premier.
somebody stuck u little wooden crosse up above
that door. One OF Sir Johns Ministers came
breathlessly to the Premier and wanted the
thing taken down at once.
Leave it here said Sir john that will
he US IN Quebec
Years passed and the little cross kept its
place + inay there came change, A Premier
came who was u Catholic, Presently the cross
was missing. and u punbe OF the faithful
waited upon the Just Minister to ask that the
emblem he restored to Its place.
Ia II gone 2 asked the Premier.
Yes. they made answer. it is gone
rio -
It seemed as natural for the Canadians to
mix religion and politics ms for n Kentuck ian
to mix water and sugar. Once; when the nues-
up tho Minister Of Education made a book Of
selections that he thought would be safe and
instructive tor children. He submitted copy
10 the. various Bishops: The, only. criticism
came from the head OF the Catholic Church.
and that was merely that the grammar Of tho
Bible and the grammar Of the modern school
were conflicting. and might confuse the chill
dren. Our Father which are IN heaven"
With that ptiOn tho ROo1 niShOnS wara