The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-02
PARLIAMENT AS IT USED TO BE,
Account of Seventeenth Century Man
ns,1s: IL, En- nu'S iIer iSiaIurC

nCES III
In Vanbursh's comedy The Provoked
Husband may be found a nalmost lit
erai transcript OF the incidents attending
the journey TO London OF Parliament
man at the end OF the seventeenth cen
fury. 1t is not. however the honorable
member who has to be transported, but
his lady and all the family. and they have
added Two cart-horseS to the four old
posters, and heavy George, the plo"man,
rides position The extra horses are
not perhaps quite suTertluous, II we cor
slider how the coach is -freighted- inside
Sir Francis, my lady, the TWO eldest
c.Ildren, the ladys maid. and the cook
and Tor fear of Il f2mtne on the way tley
carry baskets of plum cake, Dutch g n
serbread, Naples biscuits. maccaroons.
meats tongues, and cold boiled beef; and
in case OF sickness, such bottles OF us
quebaugh, cherry brandy. sack, ana
strong beer as made the old coach crack
again" Finally, for defense OF this Sooo
cheer, there was the family basket htit
sword, the great Turkish simetar- the Old
blunderbuss, a good bag OF bull.ts. and Il
great horn OF gunpOwder. In Its way
this is u perfect picture We have the
numbering family coach. the sleepy old
horses the dignity of the occasion, the
badness OF the roads, the pertI5 OF the
English habit of forethought in the COM
missariat- All to get one, probably
equity, elderly gentleman TO Westmln-
Ster.
ASSUMING our ptLEIpLLc Knight " !!SiNt
arrived and taken his seat his TirSt duty
was TO make himself warity familiar with
the Rules and Standing Orders OF tbs
House, both as to its proceedings and
etiquette. AS Il member OF we pore sym
pei Commons" he must evince an alert
understanding of what to say, do, and
avoid. ',Punctuality and attention 10
business were essential. If he felt
little FESTIVE Ut being due in his place
at 8 o'clock IN the morning. he might
hi al tft.r Ir
father had to attend at S. and his grand
father at !. Not being in time for pray
erS exposed him to the fine OF Is. while
5S. was the cost OF an unauthorized day
off" But in showing his zeal for great
matters, the novice must not trauSSreSS
the code concerning little ones 'Nlan-
ners makyth man'-and members. That
being So it seems only fair that all men,
bers who climbed over seats should
pay I'D, and that standing In the pas
age while the House was sitting should
expose them TO a similar penalty. Credit
was not allowed; the muIct had pres
entity Immediately to be handed over
TO the serjeant, who did not see his way
to giving any. and always had change.
The deyotee OF the weed must not pre-
sumo TO smoke tobacco in the gallery, or
at the table of the House, sitting at
committees The last words are suggest
i've of some saving clause in the smo-
ker's behalf; but ''church-wardens' were
always rather parochiai thAn Parliament
airy, and cigars were only just coming
into fashion. The discreet member did
not hiss" his opponents, though he
might lawfully give his hear, hear an
ronical infection But he was expressly
forbidden to whisper, or cross the
House, or read any printed book in II.
In these circumstances, it was perhaps
only natural that honorable gentlemen
should have been delighted when l..
o'clock came The House rose with
all the alacrity OF the school-room, and
shook off its gravity with something OF the
same sense OF relief. But in going
forth" whoever went before Mr.. Speaker
forfeited los. With one exception; the
reporters might 80 first.
The fact that the attendance OF mem
bers was for az long a period compul-
sorry may have been due TO their re
cept of wages" Absence without the
permission OF the House, expressed by
the Speaker. involved their forfeiture:
and sometimes the imposition OF a special
fine, or even committaI TO PRISON The
origin OF the payment OF members is
obscure The amount varied considerably
in different times and places, and was
20 some extent based upon the distance of
the place represented from Westminster
No doubt mileage" was an important
item. But the arrangements were OF 4
most elastic description. The fee" has
been us little as Id day. and as nuch
as the constituencies were able, or will
ing, TO pay. Special bargains were often
made that the member should be paid a
certain sum. ami again that he should
serve without anything making for his
fee Andrew MARVEL. who sat for HUI
in the reign of Charles II. was prooaois
the last member VINO was paid salary
by his constituents for his services III
Parliament. Four shiilings a day Tor
q county, ana two for a borough repts-
sentative was a common rate. and recoros
exist showing that In some borough5 par
tic,r1ar nrnnertv was ciargeable with its
paymest A more suggestive tacl - Ind,
petitions were not nnfrsanentiy prs ha as
yrancbisad on the ground of their inabil-
tty to defray the EXPENSES of their mem
bars. In the time of Edward III. ana
during five successive reisns the Saerfs
oY lancashire made return TO every
Parliament that there were no cities or
boroushs in his county that ought or
were used, or could, on account of their
noyerty, send any citizens or bursesses
to sit In it
osd records disclose soma few instances