New-York tribune., 1900-10-14
"THE FIRST COMMONER." /"
SOME NOTES ON THE SPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE OF COMMONS, THE METHOD
OF HIS ELECTION AND HIS
PREROGATIVES.


notes concerning this important office the holder
of which bears by virtue of a statute enacted
several centuries ago the title of The First
COmmOner in the Land" may be of timely in
terest. The Speaker of the House of Commons
is of the most powerful personages of the
British Empire For the latter is governed by
Parliament representing the will of the people,
and by Ministers of State, representing the
majority of votes in the National Legislature,
and it is the Speaker who is the authority over
Parliament-that is to say, over the most i'm
pOrtant part thereof, namely, the House of Com
He suspend a member; ne stop
the Prime Minister point of procedure; he
can close debate; he decide the most mo-
mentous constitutional questions by a few
words spoken in private conference behind the
chair he can oVerrule the Cabinet on points
which may be vital to its policy. and which
may either enhance discredit the authority
in the House, and it is he alone who decides who
is to speak and who is to remain silent. No
Secretary of State not the First Lord of
the Treasury, who holds the title of leader of
the House." is able to speak in Parliament with
out having obtained the permission of The First
COmmoner in the Land by means of the pc
culiar process known as catching the Speakers
eye"
There is no optic in the world that has played
so important part in history as the eye of
the Speaker. Its power and rights are not
based any written law, but long estab-
lished custom and tradition. Often several men,
bers rise in their places at once. endeavorng to
arrest the wandering optic of the Speaker and
It is then free to that august functinnary to
make his selection and to indicate the member
who has his permission to speak. While he gen
orally comedies priority to new corners who are
about to address the House for the first time
yet he is so impartial in the performance of this
particular duty that. within the memory of the
present generation at any rate, no Speaker of
the House of Commons has been taxed with
unfairness. OF course, this antiquated method
Is attended by many disadvantages, and it often
happens that members prevented from ad-
dressing the House for weeks together and de
barred from taking any part in the debate
owing to their failure to catch the Speakers
eye"
Failing eyesight is an almost insuperable
bar to the retention of the Speakershp and it
solely on this ground that Speaker Brand.
of the most remarkable occupants of the
office in the reign of Queen Victoria, was com
PEELED to resign.
HOW THE SPEAKER is CHOSEN
The manner in which the Speaker is elected
at the opening of new Parliament is as fol-
lows: On the day appointed by royal proclama-
ton for the meeting of the newly elected Legis-
llture the members assemble in the House Of
Commons, the Speakers chair remaining empty,
and the mace of office being under, instead of
on. the table. A few minutes after o'clock
that is the usual hour for the ceremony-the
doorkeeper announces BLACK Rod" and the
latter who is the principal executive official of
the House of Lords, enters, and with a num-
Der of bows to the Speakers empty chair in
vites this honorable House to repair Ito an
other place" to hear the reading of the Royal
Commission by means of which Parliament is
opened. He then retires, bowling thrice and is
followed by the chief clerk of the House of
Commons, Queens Counsel, wearing the wig
the silk robes, the queer fashioned coat black
knee breeches and silk stockings of his office
and by most of the members of Parliament who
take up their position at the bar of the House
of Lords and listen to the reading of the Com
mission opening the Parliament. The
Royal Commissioners, consisting of the Lord
High Chancellor and four other peers arrayed
in the scarlet and ermine barred robes of their
rank, are seated in line the wooIsack in
front of the Throne At the conclusion Of the
reading of the SOvereign's message the Com
mons flock back to the Lower Chamber After
they have taken their places the clerk Of the
empty chair. rises and silently points three
fingers at the chief representative Of the admin
1straton, known the leader of the House