The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-08-16
oLD-TIME LAWMAKERS.
Difference Between Two Houses Of
Legislature Defined.
CRichmond Dispatch.)

N-@-~-A-~-N'AAN-
It is getting 70 be very much the Gus
tom nowadays for newspapers to speak OF
the upper" and lower" houses OF the
general assembly.
That nomenclature some years back
was resented by the members OF the
house Of delegates as too much OF an I'm
was made to parliament Here IN re-
publican Virginia delegates rarely could
De brought to admit that there was any
upper" o. lower" house, and Speaker
Ryan was wont to explain that the only
difference between a senator and q dele
gate was that the former was entitled TO
latter was not. Even that difference has
been removed at this session. The dele
gate now draws peuknife from the state
Just as a senator does.
Originally the idea was that a member
Of the legislature needed a knife in trim
ming his quill pen. When the quill went
out Of vogue and the metal pen came in,
the house cut off the knife perQuisite. and
so Il was for many years. but lately MEM
( bers found out that their pencils needed
TO be snarpened, and provision thereupon
was made for the distribution again OF
knives So customs and fashions return,
though the reason that dictated them no
longer exists On gentlemen's frock coats
above the tails buttons are still placed.
though swords and sword belts are no
longer worn.
In time we even look for the restoration
OF the legislative snUffbOx, when Il will
I become the duty of the clerk Clark OF
each house TO keep a supply Of snuff SUI
ficient Cor each member, ana 70 send the
box around the house whenever any diff
ficrit question IS up for consideration, or
when members show a disposition to fly
into temper with one another.
Another old fixture of the capitol was
a big stove, on which an aged cOlored
woman roasted peanuts TO be sold to
members and visitors That old stove ls
still preserved az one OF the most valu-
able antique assets OF our commonwealth.
IL was made in England in no and was
considered a wonder OF ingenious mechan-
ism in its day. II IS a three-StOry affair
ands.TEas not built for cookery, but for
heating purposes: but all the same # was
found to be pretty good peanut rooster,
and was so used in the FOtunda many
the house OF burgesses at WILLIAMSBURG
and was brought to Richmond when the
capitol was transferred here
In those days the colony didn't have any
| upper or lower house. What Il had
was the hOuse-a- gOOdly company OF
| flOrid-COmpleXiOned gentlemen, many OF
whom queued their hair. wore velvet
I coats and lace ruffles. knee breeches and
| buckles, and low-Quartered shoes At
Z least the rich planters did. The men OK
/ the mountains were not so ornate IN
I their dress, and no wonder. for they had
I 70 ride down here horseback. and had no
/ trunks in which TO bring dress suits; no
wagons in which to haul the trunks, and
/ finally In most cases. no such suits to
/ DIff INTO the trunk aforesaid But thew
were intelligent, good. brave gentlemen,
all the same, and the crack Of their rifles
/ was heard IN the revolution. along with
those Of their lowland compatrtots.. from
/ the hills OF Boston TO the rice fields OF
/ South Carolina The bonds OF fraternity
/ which bound them together. we doubt not.
were cemeted. II not formed. at Williams
/ burg when they took snuff. OF roasted
] peanuts maybe together. Later on as q
! commonwealth Virginia adopted the BIZ
/ cameral systematic. senate and the
/ speak Of as the upper" and lower"
] house.