Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-08-14

pyrotechnics and no fierce onslaughts
but rather a calm, intelligent discus
sion Of important topics. The speak.
en showed striking familiarity with
intricate and scientific questions and
the replies Of the ministry TO the ques,
lions propounded were clear and In.
forming.
The Houses Of ParlIment is not the
impressive building enthusiastically
which Its pictures would have one &
believe. 1t is situated on a low bank
Of the Thames river and does not ap-
pear to the best advantage IL is even
said that Its basement rooms are be.
low the level of the THAMES river al
high tide. The river front, adorned
with statueso OF English monarchs from
William the conqueror to Queer
Victoria, Is the most imposing. There
are one thousand one hundred apart,
ments in the building which cover.
eight acres. A light in the Clock
tower by night and the Union Jack
flying from the Victoria tower by day
Indicate that the House Of Commons
is sitting. The h~andsomest rooms In
the building are the Princes Chamber,
the House Of Peers with its Celebrated
wo0lSack, a cushioned ottoman: the
Peers Corridor, with a fine painting Of
the Pilgrims sailing for New England;
the spacious Central Hall and West
minister Hall. Round the mosaic
pavement Of the Central Hall runs the
inscription, in the Latin OF the vul.
gate, Except the Lord keep the
house, their labor is but lost that
build it,
Though other rooms are more
luxurious public interest always
centers in the House Of Commons.
The most influential body in the
world is the supreme court Of the
United States. Next to this is the
English House Of Commons. We get
our American laws from the supreme
court, we get our English liberty from
the House of Commons. The Ameri-
can congress plus the American presi.
dent, powerful as that executive has
become, are overruled by a single
decision of the nine black-gowned
justices. The House Of Commons is
the great body in the British Empire.
The House OF Lords is a mere Obstruc-
tive fifth wheel while the King him.
self is but a fat witted~ fgurehead.
The room in which the Commons
meet is plain and Observation-Disclosures
much simpler than that OF the House
Of Lords. Though there are go mem
bers OF the House seats are provided
for only 470-the others do not usually
attend. The members receive nc
salary and service in parliament is ex.
pensive. On the right OF the speaker
are the recognized seats OF the
members Of the government party,
just now the Conservative, while on
the left are seated the Opposition,
which is just now the Liberals. The
Speaker, with wig and gown, sits
under a canopy at the north end Of
the long room. The seats are arrang.
cd on the sides not facing the speaker,
but facing east and west. In front Of
the speaker Is the clerks table upon
which a gold mace, the symbol OF the
authority u the House, lies when thu
House is in session. The reporters
is above the speaker while
above 1t behind an iron grating Is the
Ladies Gallery. Only men are allowed
to look from an open gallery upon the
House Of Commons, the ladies, as in
Spain and Turkey, must not be seen,
so a grating is provided for their gal.
lery and the polite fiction is shat they
are not present at all. Permission tc
be present at the session Of the House
is only to be obtained by the written
order Of d member Of parlIment On
each side Of the House is a s'division
into which the members pass,
when a vote is taken, to be counted.
The sayes" or those who are favorable
to the motion, retire into the lobby to
the right Of the speaker; the @noes,''
those who + opposed to the motion,
retire into the lobby to the left OF the
speaker. 1t thus requires the moving
Of the entire membership present
when there is a division upon any
questionable house really divides.
During the session which is here des-
there was a division upon a
motion made to strike out the subsidy
paid 70 a certain British steamship
line for carrying the mails because it
was alleged that the line had become
part Of the American shipping trust.
0f course the motion was defeated, be-
made by a member Of the minority
but It served 70 causea brilliant
iebate and to show the visitors how
Fotes in the House Of Commons are
THE BANK or ENGLAND.
IL may be that one should put the
Bank Of England ahead Of the House
Il Commons in influence upon the
British Empire. Certainly the Bank
5, without exception, the most infu-
initial financial concern in the world.
money counts in England as
{ does In any other country. Our
cousins are constantly poking
un at the Americans for "worshipingI
he almighty dollar" but It is not set
own Ia any truthful history that an
.lnglishman ever threw away a pound.
II may be readily believed
hat the loyalty OF the Englishman tol
is king is somehow mixed up with
be fact that Edwards picture is upon
be coin Of the realm.
The Bank Of England is insignif-
mt In appearance, only one story
and needs q bath. It has not a
ngie outside window, all the light
'ming from windows upon an inside
Iurt and from artificial means.
IL Is the Bank of England It
as founded by a Scotchman. 1t is
le only bank in the kingdom which
IS the power Of issuing paper money
s bank notes are as good As limited