New-York tribune., 1902-09-08
/" PICKWICK" HERE AGAIN.
up DAVIES TALKS ON THE ENGLISH
school, BILL AND PARCELS POST.


cussIng his fate of having 'Ficlfwick thrust upof
| him last night Il don't precisely know why IL Is
| said he to Tribune reporter at the FIth Avenue
"A friend of mine said to the other day thai
| rnan,, men would give their heads to figure IL
Punch I get In there every now and then TOBY
has decided that I the second Mr. fleh"ica
| and so have to he. For my part shouid Sf
quite as well satisfied not to appear SO Hnuch' pa'
then. / don't mind. l like the papers 10 20 as ,hey
please never try to innuence Iheih III e"S uie'
| ton
Here Mr.. Davies drew a copy of Punch" from
| his valse
I'm sorry Il brought no others. There were
some more interesting than this and he pointed
out a cartoon where he represented as leaning
out of a car window the undeniable cast of Pick
wick his countenance, and calling to the station
master: Would you do me the honor to collect
the tickets i'll person after having called out the
of the station in loud and distinct voice? I?
once moro thank you!' THAT refers to two oc-
casions-oncc when | desired infcrmatio from A
minister who proved to be in the smoking room,
and / deferred my question until he should return
to the floor of the House; and another. when Mr.
Chamberlain replied inquiry in tone that
was all but inaudibIe. and 1 asked him 20 speak
loud enough for me to hear. 1t seemed TO amuse
every one. I can't see why. 1t is habit of the
ministers disregard questions. to give replies
that are rather shfty. Sometimes 1t is mixed with
considera bic bitterness. There is altogether too
much bitterness in the House. If 1 felt bitterly
against any member IL would make me uncom-
Portable that 1 could hardly transact any business
This benign trait is suggestive that Mr. Davies
fits the part of Mr.. Pckwick in some WAYS better
than he thinks. Appearance and stature did much
to mark the creature of Dickens and II. X. Browne
but bengnity of spirit was the essence of the great
man. and though "Pickwick Redivivus" as
Punch" calls him, is earnest and intense on oues-
tions of conviction, nothing really rufes his per
sonal feelings
Was it not O'Connel who said he had learned
the rules of the House of Commons by breaking
them? Mr.. Davies told The Tribune wear ago
when here a previous visit that as a new mem
Der he had inquired for a book of rules without
success. With the experience of another wear no
finds there is considerable uncertainty as to what
is order and what is not.
ut disturbs to be called to order" said Mr.
Davies. I found l being called 10 order rather
frequently. Then | discovered that other members
older in political life suffered the same fate One
day noble and distinguished lord was told by
Mr.. Speaker that he had no special privilege to
disregard the authority Of the chair. have felt
easier since
The regulations requiring passengers arriving ON
ocean steamers to answer list OF special questions
somewhat disturbed the equanimty Of Mr. Davies.
The idea of asking member of Parliament
whether he is able 10 read and write" he said. IT
wrote the blank: This Is a specimen OF my
handwriting and left them to judge. AG to my
final destination in the United States I wrote
None: TO return to England Then BY whom
was passage paid?' Now really that is absurd I
wrote, No kind enough do it. so I paid
It Then one question asked IL I had been in
a prison have inspected end of prisons so
put in the blank Yes.
The main question at present before Parla-
ment,' said Mr.. Davies is the governments bill
for change in the school system. y present the
schools controlled by school boards elected
by popular vote. These boards fix the and
have entire supervision. This BILL which is TO apply
to England and Wales. with the exception OF Lon
don. which however. it is 'ntimated. will later be
dealt with in the same fashion Will sweep away
tho school boards and put the control in trust
managers, who will have to be churchmen. As it
Is at present all schools denominaional and others
alike directed by representative of the people
who support them. BY this change the people will
pay for the entire maintenance Of denomlna ational
schools. OF which there arc 1900. without having
any voice in their direction. In many places there
is no other school but the denominatonaI and this
will subject in such all children of matter
what faith 10 the training of Church Of England
teachers. This Is unjust and unwise. and is due
10 the mistake of having State Church. All non
conformists arrayed against It and many
churchmen well DR.. Clifford, OF London the
well known Baptist clergyman. has done great
work against the BILL have Lloyd George and
James Bryce, and host OF others.
This highhanded measure is extremely III timed
1t was great pity that such dividing issue
should have been forced the front at the corona
tion time when harmony should have been tho
The step has caused widespread dissatisfaction
warned il IS this ONE The Leed eiection wss Ioss
entirely and that at Seven Oaks lately showed
loss IN majority Of 1000 in possible 1890 That Ia
running close 10 defeat The people have stood by
and the people wanted them carry IL COM |
pleton. But that 1t is over. it is likely that |
the people will tired Of this government In |
another three years, say. and sooner If they per
sist In measures unpopular the Education bill |
Another important matter is the American par !
eel post II the government was unable TO effect |
an agreement with the American Government il !
should have said: We will have parcel post |
direct with the United States or not at an 1t !
a private American express company / doubt If |
the arrangement will be effective. There Is detail
of management which have brought TO the atten- |
ton of Austin Chamberlain. of the Colonial |
in regard to the sorting Of ocean mail
When Mr.. Chamberlain WAS First Lord of the |
Treasury I suggested TO him that the English post
and White Star lines to sort the mails in passage
precisely the American postotfce has men on |
the North German Lloyd and American line ships
Now that Mr.. Austin Chamberlain is Cabinet
member and Postmaster General, hope he will see
his way clear TO effect this Improvement. At pres
hours difference in delivery between
White Star lines and that arriving by the North
German LLOYD and American. All the mail in the |
latter vessels is sorted on the way for the
various sub-stat lions III TINS city and for the
going trains on the other ships il Is taken TO the
West-st - ation arrival and the sorting begun
then. This is a evident waste of time.
There are other matters of moment, such !
mana cement of the South African situation, now
that the war over: the Irish question with the
I.ondon Water bill But they are not of such i'm
mediate Importance at this time
Mr. Davies is president of hrnn of express
-iers and importers of this city, Davies, Turner &
business he had no interest personally in the ques
lion OF the parcel post He is to spend some days
IN this civ and will then travel in the West for q
short time.