Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-01-15
PARLIAMENTARY EYEGLASSES.
Lord BeaconsfieId n COntnrer with
the Article--By Its Means He Con-
trived Theatrical Effects.

Few accessories of personal attire
have played a more interesting part
in parliamentary life than the simple
eyeglass. The silk hat, as we know,
is indispensable; a member of the
house of commons often moves and
has his being entirely by virtue Of his
headgear; but the dexterous use of the
parliamentary eyeglass has often pro-
duced thrilling impressions, says the
Pail Mall Gazette.
The greatest conjurer in the use of
this little article the historic legisla-
tive chamber ever contained was the
late Lord Beaconsfeld. 1t has often
been said of him that he was a splen-
did actor. He certainly contrived by
a sort of dumb show with his eyeglass
to create striking theatrical effects,
and the manner in which he would
manage, when it suited him, to lose
the thing in the folds of his clothing,
so that he could pause in his speech
while he fumbled for the missing arti-
cle-a momentary respite which gave
him time to think-was a frequent
subject ofmirth in the smoking-rooms.
One incident of the kind will never
be forgotten by those who witnessed
It. Mr.. Dsraeli, then prime minister
was speaking with great solemnity
on a question of foreign policy. lie
had been several times noisily inter-
rupted by a somewhat boisterous
Scotch representative, who threw out
irOnical cheers without any relevant
application At the third or fourth
attempt the great minister stopped
abruptly in the middle of a sentence.
There was dead silence in the crowd
ed house as members watched the
statesman slowly feel for his eyeglass,
mechanically adjust it to his eye, and
then, turning to the direction Of the
interruption, gave the Highland gen
tleman one expressive look. Having
satisfied himself Of the identity of the
offender, an expression came over
the prime minister's face which
seemed to say: ooh. it's you, is it?
Poor fellow, you don't know better!"
The eyeglass dropped with a clink
against the watch chain, and the speak
er resumed his remarks at the very
point of the broken sentence. That
honorable member had good reason
to remember the episode throughout
his parliamentary career. His col
leagues never allowed him to forget
It.
When Disraeli could find his eye
glass in a hurry and fix it promptly,
it was a sure sign that he was annoyed. /
In the course of heated debate the .
prime minister was once repelling an .
attack made upon him by Mr.. Glad /.
stone. The veteran liberal leader
made some audible comment upon what /
Disraeli was saying, which in the eX- ,
element of the moment Henry Chap ,
lin took upon himself to answer across .
the floor of the house. Mr.. Chaplin
had not understood the point of Mr.
criticism. and his inter-
ruption gave the old parliamentary
hand an opportunity of putting an
which the prime minis
ter did not want. When it came TO
his turn to resume his speech, he firm
Iy placed his eyeglass, and, turning
almost viciously upon Mr.. Chaplin
(who, of course, sat on the ministerial
Eide), and looking hard at him, ex-
claimed: "Sir, 1 am not obliged to my
right honorable friend for this inter-
ruption."