The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-02-15

will Y 9 and by ministers of
state, y the majority of votes
in the na~sF$;l legislature. and it is the
speaker who Is tEe authority over pallia-
ment-that Is to say, over the most i'm
portant part thereof-namely, the house
of commons. He can suspend a member.
he can stop the prime minister on a point
of procedure, he can close Il debate. he
can decide the most momentous constitu-
tional questions by a few words spoken
in private conference behind the chair. no
can override the cabinet on points which
may be vital to its policy and which NAV
either enhance or discredit the authority
in the house. and it is he alone who de-
cides who is to speak and who is to re-
main silent. No secretary of state. not
even the first lord of the treasury, who
holds the title of Header of the house" is
able TO speak in parliament without hay-
ins obtained the permission of the first
commoncr in the land by means of tie
peculiar process known as Catching the
speakers eye"
There is 10 optic in the world that has
played 50 important part in history as
the eye of the speaker. Its power and
rights are not based on any written law.
but on long established custom and tradi-
ton. Often several members rise in their
places ut once. endcavoring to arrest the
wandering optic of the speaker. and it is
then free to that august functionarv to
make his selection and to Indicate the
member who has his permission to speak.
While he generally comedies priority to
newcomers who are about to address the
house for the first time, yet he is so i'm
partial in the performance of this partic-
ular duty that, within the memory of the
present generation ut any rate, 10 speak
er Of the house of commons has been tax
ed with unfairncss.
The manner in which the speaker is
elected at the opening of new pnria-
mcnt is as follows: On the day appointed
by royal proclamation for the meeting of
the newly elected legislature 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, y few minutes after > o'clock
that is the usual hour for the ceremony
tho dn0rkcCpCr announces "Black Rod"
and the latter, who is the principal eNecu-
tive official of the house of lords, enters
and with n number of bows to the speak
cr's empty chair invites this honora bic
house" to repair ito another place" to
hear the reading of the royal commission
by means of which parliament is opened.
He then rctircS. bowling thrice and is fol-
lowed hy the chief clerk of the house of
commons. a queens counsel, wearing the
wig, the silk robes, the queer fashioned
coat, black knee brooches and silk stock
iugS of his Office. and by most of the mem
beers Of parliament. who take up their p0-
sition ut the bar of the house of lords and
listen to the reading of the commission
opening the new parliament. The royal
commissioners, consisting Of the lord
high chancellor and four other peers, ar
rayed in the scarlet and crninc barred
robes of their rank, are seated in line
ON the WoolSack in front of the throne
At the conclusion of the reading of the
SOvcreign'S message the commons flock
back to the lower chamber. After they
have taken their places the clerk of the
house. sitting at the table below the
speakers empty chair rises and silently
points three fingers at the chief represent
alive of the administration. known as the
leader Of the house. The latter thereupon
rises and proposes the election to the
SppaEerShip of some candidate whose
name has usually been already agreed
upon jointly by the leaders of the admin
stration party and of the opposition. the
chief Of the latter, in accordance with
time honored usage, seconding the nomi-
nation.
Seldom-certainly not within the men,
DRY Of the present generation-has there
been full tedged contest for the office
of speaker For the government party,
conscious of its numerical superiority, al
auIna IN n pnnI id a
who will be acceptable to the minority, SO
that there may be no question as to the
impartialty of the chair. 1t has often
happened that the speaker, by the wish
and consent of the party in power, has
been selected from the ranks of the oppo-
stion. If there is no objection raised to
the candidate thus nominated, the clerk
of the house. after the lapse of two min
utcs as indicated by the sandglass on the
table before him. arises from his seat at
the table and. without uttering word,
points three fingers at the nominee. The
latter then rises from his seat and, ad-
dressing the clerk of the house by name,
expresses his appreciation of the honor
conferred upon him, requesting that he
may have the support of every member.
without which the speaker can do moth
me, but having which there is little he
cannot do"
As soon as he has concluded his little
address the leader of the government
smiles across the body of the house to the
leader Of the opposition, whereupon both
arise from their places and conduct the
speaker elect to the speakers chair.
A Standing before the latter under its can
opy and facing the chair, he beckons to
the sergeant arms, who, taking the
mace of office from beneath the table,
4 places it on the latter the members on
both sides of the house having risen to
their feet. AS soon as the mace has been
placed on the table the speaker. no longer
elect but duly indicted, gives signal
10 the members to reseat themselves.
linen the leader of the government party
delivers a brief speech Of congratulatlon,
IN response to which the speaker 'unre-
serycdly places himself in the hands of
the house" Then as people are just be-
ginning to wonder what will happen next
the speaker rises again and in his official
Noice-a distinctly Different and more au-
thoritative organ than that employed dur
ing the earlier neutrality-suspicious.
! he question is that this house will now
hdiourn." No objection being taken, the
speaker leaves the chair, and when he
4 next resumes it does so no longer in plain
street dress. but arrayed in the robes and
Iuli bottomed wig of his oflice.-New
n York Tribune.
DIPl OMANN I'M TILE QECTAIIpAMT