Evening star., 1900-12-15
Ancient and Interesting Ceremonies
in Opening Parliament
PROCESSION OF THE BEEFEATERS
Some New Plans in Connection
With London Subways.
URRENT- ART NOTES


LONDON December D. 1900.
Monday was the opening day of the if-
teenth parliament Of Queen Victoria. Oifi-
cially business was to commence at
O'clock in the afternoon. but unoficially ii
commenced as soon as Big Ben doomed the
midnight hour. OF the 670 gentlemen elecs-
ed to serve in the house of commons any
one of them could at any moment after j.
turn up and take his seat
There is always great scramble 1or
seats as there are only about enough for
twc-thirds of the members. and it Is
case OF first come, first served
There wasn't a long walt. In five min
utes a gray. stoutish and bald man ran
across Palace yard and hailed the police
mar at the door with the shout Am l the
first?" yes sir. replied the policeman,
and the gray. stoutish man halted, pufred
and smiled victory The electric light was
switched on. and Mr.. Macdona. member
for Rotherhithe, took his seat. To show he
had taken it he left his hat lying there.
produced a cloth cap from his pocket ano
then went home.
This sort of thing was kept up at in
tervals all the early morning until at noon
all the benches contained hats or cards.
Before noon the guards from the tower
made their annual search in the cellars Tor
the venerable Guy Fawkes.
NOIWltnSIdNulnS the lIptI dl'oS'N"
to a new parliament, there is something
strangely childish about many scenes con-
rected with the ceremony. Can ahyhody
really suppose, for instance. that anothe:
modern Guy Fawkes may be found hiding
in the cellars, or that any sensible man
would endeavor to catch such a cuiprit
with few yeomen OF the guard
Procession of "Beefeaters.''
But, despite the uselessness of the proceed
ure, it goes briskly, all the same. You
still have the ''Beefeaters' trotted out in
their Tudor costumes, the old-fashioned
lanterns carried gingerly at their head. and
the same fear from spectators that the poor
old chaps may come to harm in their pefe-
CARNATIONS of the vaults.
Remembering how long the house or com
mons has existed and the part 1t has had
to play in national annals, there need be
no surprise, perhaps. that quaint rules ana
old world traditions should be SO lneXtri-
cably mixed in its affairs.
OF those assembling about 1'1 were new
men. Some Of them walked in and sought
a seat as though they had done the same
thing every day for quarter OF a century.
Others were nervous. They wandered aim
lessly. trying to look at ease but displaying
discomfort. They bushed when they saw
the eye of an attendant on them. Every
now and then attendant would slip into
a side passage, produce an orange-colored
book from his pocket called Mems. about
Members. scrutinize some portrait In 1t
ana try to make it fit some would-be legis-
lator behaving suspiciously. then invite
fellow attendant to compare the two and
assist in deciding whether That's him.
The sergeant-at-arms, knickerbockered,
and, with the sword dangling at his side.
stood at the door holding it aside and sud-
denly he closed 1t with a bang, and then
peeped out from a little shutter. 1t seemed
rude thing to do, for just at that moment
an old gentleman arrived In full generals
uniform, with medals his breast, and
carrying a cooked hat on one hand and a
black wand with a golden crown on the end
In the other. This was Sir Michael Bid
dulph, Black Rod, sent from the house of
lords by the lord chancellor and other noble
commissioners appointed by the queen to
open parliament and he was humbly knock
ing at the door three times, and craving
permission to open this honorable house.
Behold Black Rod!
Silence for moment, broken by the turn
ing of the key In the lock, the door is
thrown open, and there stands Black Rod,
his crimson coat revealed under the glow
of electric light. Black Rod bows stifiy
and advances. Every hat is taken off
Black Rod bows again There Is dead still
ness, and he walks slowly. even a little
feebly, to the center of the floor and bows
still again. Again he advances. Standing
In front Of the table where the mace is
stuck beneath. and fixing his eye on the
empty speaker . Cnalr, IN weak crOaklng
voice he invites the house to accompany
him to the upper chamber.
linen moving back with three hats and
three bows he retires. Immediately behind
him walks the chief clerk in long silk gown
and bob-wig. Then follow a rush of mem
bers noisily gossiping. They have gone to
the giided chamber. and the lord chancel-
lor Is telling them that the commissioners
nave been authorized by letters patent to
do all things necessary in the queens name
anu lndI as soon members IF hpth
houses have been sworn her majesty will
declare the cause of the summonins of
parliament. But the gentlemen Of the
house OF commons must first choose some
proper person" to be their speaker and
present him tomorrow for her majesty's ap
probation.
The members troop back to commons.
speaker, MI Gully. who ruled the last
house well, is elected
so ends the sitting. There is q rush to the
lotoy: There are more meetings of old
Trends and hearty handshaking. The la
dies come In body from the ladies' gal
lery and make the scene bright Three
smart Canadian officers with clinkinp spurs
are brought in and told who's who. At on,
time the lobby IS simply packed and the
rev members stand in corners gazing abou;
WlstIully. hoping to goodness someone they
know will come along. Such was the meet
ing of parliament.
New Ministry n Family Affair.
A good many people are deriving amuse-
ment from the reconstructed ministry: and
if there should be any fight In the opposf-
ton when parliament gets to work. we are
likely to hear some sarcastic allusions to
the subject. When a government is called
the Hotel Cecil Unlimited" you can form
toieraby good idea as to the insinuattons
intended TO be conveyed. The arrangement
is regarded as family affair, out of which
financial and other advantages are certain
to accrue: but. whatever may be the upshot
In future years. 1t cannot be said that pres
ent changes have added anything to the
emoluments Of the principal combinations.
No matter whether you consider the Sails
bury group or the Chamberlain group. they
are both losers in monetary sense by tn,
latest reshuffiing of Offices. Lord Sell
borne, who is a son-in-law Of the premier.
has received increase Of $1,000 by his
removal from the colonial department to thu.
admiralty. and Lord Cranbourne his son,
secures f1.500 by his appointment as par
liamentary secretary to the foreign Office
Against this acquisition Of f45OO. however,
you are bound to place the loss of e. 425
which Mr.. Gerald Balfour, Sahsbury's
nephew. has sustained by his transference
from the Irish office to the board of trade
and Lord SaliSbury's sacrifice of f3 OO0 nv