The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-22
..UPPERn AND LOWER"

It Is getting to 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 las too much of an
initiation Of British speech when refer.
ence was made to Parliament. Here in
Republican Virginia delegates rarely
could be brought to admit that there
was any upper or Clover" house, and
Speaker Ryan was wont to explain that
the only difference between q Senator
and DELICATE was that the former was
entitled to receive a pen-knife from the
State and the latter was not. Even that
difference has been removed at this ses-
sion. The delegate now draws PEN
knife from the State just as a Senator
does.
Originally, the ides, 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 perquisato,
and so it was for many years, but lately
members found out that their pencils
needed to be sharpened and provision
thereupon was made FOR the distribution
again of knives. So customs, and fash
ion return, though the reason that die
tated them no longer exists. On gen
tlemen's frock coats, above the tails,
buttons are still placed. though swords
and sword-belts ares no longer worn.
In time We even look for the restora-
ton Of the legislative snuff box, when it
will become the duty OF thescleik (clark)i
of each house to keep supply Of snuff
sufficient for each member, and to send
the box around the House whenever any
difficult, question is up for consideration,
or when members show a disposition to
fly into a temper with one another.
Another old fixture" of the Capitol
was a big stove. on which an aged col
ored woman roasted peanuts to be sold to
members and visitors.
That old stove is still preserved as one
OF the most valuable antique assets Of
our Commonwealth. 1t was made In
England In ITO and was considered a
wonder of ingenious mechanism In Its
Gay. 1t Is a three-story affair and was
not built for cookery but for heating
purposes; but all the same 1t was found
to be pretty good peanut rooster and
was SO used in the rotunda many years.
1t was first used as o heater in the
House of Burgesses at Williamsburg, and
was brought to Richmond when the Capt.
tol was transferred here.
In those days the Colony didn't have
any ''upper'. op."lowcr' house What it
had was .the Ipusei q. good =. company
Of orid-complex Toned gentlemen, many
OF whom dneued their hair Wore velvet
coats and lace ruffles, knee breeches and
buckles and low-quartered shoes. At
least the rich planters did. The men Of
dress, and no wonder, for they had to
ride down here horseback and had no
trunks In which to bring dress.suits; no
wagons in which to haul the trunks and
ltnally. III most cases, no SUCH suits to
put into the trunks aforesaid. But they
"s'c H1to4H6eHt' 6oou, oIaVs gentlemen
all the same and the crack OF their
rifles was heard in the Revolution.
along with those of their lowland COM
patriots, from the hills jof Boston to the
rice fields of South Carolina. The bonds
Of fraternity which bound them together,
we doubt not were cemented If not
formed at Williamsburg when they took
snuff, or roasted peanuts maybe. to-
sether Later on as a Conlmonw 18th,
Virginia adopted the bi-cameral SYSTEM
tho senate and the House-what some Of
our friends now speak oc rs the upper
and "lower" house.