The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-07-19
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Strange Accidents to Speeches Emphasized
-Unspoken Words Printed.

perb speech IN the house OF commcRs,
"but IN the reporters gallery yon&r
there sits a fourth estate more m
portant than them ALL"
This famous declaration-whAh
is now regarded generally not asa
mere rhetorical figure Of speech, bat
as a literal truth-was not received
with loud and prolonged cheers" BY
the representative Of thepress.
In the French chamber Of dePu-
ties, says the London Mail, it is
common episode for the reporters 60
applaud sentiments in accord with
the policy Of the newspapers they
represent uttered by representatives
on the floor below. The only incident
of the kind that ever occurred in the
press gallery Of the house Of commons
was when an excitable reporterinth
staff Of the Dublin Freeman's jour
nal enthusiastically waved a copy Of
that organ about his head and loudly
cheered on the conclusion Of Glad
stones great speech introducing the
home rule bill of 1886.
In the gallery the reporters are
most orderly. They never display
their feelings there. Butin the writ
ing-out rooms behind, where the re-
porters, after a bad quarter Of an
hour in the box, wrestle with the
hieroglyphics on their note books,
tories may be heard d%enouncing Mr..
Brodrick for dropping his voice, and
radicals saying uncomplimentary
things Of Mr.. Asquith for tearing
along at a rate no shorthand writer
could overtake.
Nor are the reporters proud Men-
bers make a show Of addressing their
remarks to the chair. "Mr. Speaker,
sir each begins. They also preteHd
in their elaborate show Of argumant
to be anxious to bring honorable gen
tlemen OH the opposite side Of the
house around to their own views asd
opinions. Instances Of votes having
been diverted by a speech from cAe
lobby to the other are extremely rare
in the history Of parliament. No, Me
: volume Of talk, talk, talk, whichhoB
increasingly during the session, is IN
lie tended exclusively for the Journalists,
busy with pen and pencil in the ga-
e lery over the speakers chair.
During the time of dining - be-
tween seven and nine o'clock-when
, as a rule the undistinguished mem
bers of the house have the only OPP
: portunity at their disposal Of stating
{ their views, an honorable gentleman
g may be seen addressing an audience
consisting solely, so far as the floor
!, of the house is concerned, Of the
IS speaker and the clerks at the table.
h He, however, is not in the least DIS
ID concerted by the meagerness Of Ms
at audience. He has sent the mama
script Of his speech to the local organ
of his constituency, or he Is aware
that the representative Of that news
y paper is in the reporters gallery TAX
sc ing down almost every word that fatas
from his lips. Why, then, should he
bother, because his colleagues prefer
ID the delights of the moking-room, We
q, dining-room or the terrace to listen
1t ing to him?
ID A few years ago there happened
iii to be two members named Powerin
the Irish party. John wrote oubla
most eloquent speech, which he pro-
posed to deliver in an approaching
I'd Irish debate, and sent it beforehand
Ill to a Dublin daily newspaper.
On the night of the debate tire
other Power (Richard) succeeded in
first catching the speakers eye"
"a and next morning the Dublin daily
y newspaper, assuming it was John that
a had spoken, came out with the re-
le port, five columns long, Of a grand
as speech, which, though it was plenti-
fully supplied with CHEERS" cloud
laughter" 'hear, hear" and cries of
NJ "no, no" had never been delivered.
g That night, when the copies Of the
., Dublin daily newspapers we're de
lyered at the house Of commons, John
had to endure an unmerciful amount
of banter. Yet he boldly got up in
ed the house later on, amid roars of de-
risive cheers and laughter, and pro-
". ceeded to deliver-an entirely DIFF
As ferent, but quite as eloquent speech
~ Such incidents contribute to the
fun Of reporting parliament.