The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-15
a CALIFORNIAN
ABROAD.
BY Thomas Fitch
TAE H0llSE OE cnMMONS
THE HOUSE or COMMONS

On a former trip to LONDON Vlslteo
The House OF Commons. It was my
fortune to reach the small, and COM
fortress strangers gallery at a time
when Gladstone was speaking. His
was conversational eloquence- 'eAevat-
ed conversation. no enthusiasm, but
little gesture, except With fingers and
glass, some hemming and stutter-
ing, which believed to be an affecta-
ton of unreadiness. and varied
monotony of voice. It WAS a business
sseeeh, such as fifty members OF Con-
gress might have made, only any mem
Der Of Congress would have infused
more energy into it, There was noth-7
nag forcefuI or fiery or fowery about
Il. nothing breezy or inspiring or mag
netlc about 1t, and yet Gladstone was
credited in his day with being the ora
tor par excellence of the British House
Of Commons.
I visited one of the courts-I forget
which. It was evidently a cause cele-
nre's tina. was on trial, for the few
spectators seats were filed, and we
we're informed by the bailin. at the
door that no more would be admitted.
Il was evident that to gain admission,
ne would be obliged to resort to
ssways that are dark My companion
Ian English gentleman who had
travelled in America proposed that we
should get In by a combination of
sheek and corruption. I assented- He
walked cooily to a door labelled
Judges Private Entrance. follow
ed With an assumption of brisk ease
ne passed the functionary on guard at
che outer door We dazed him with
ear unearthly judicial demeanor- We
chilled him with our noble blood, and
before he could recover his lost organ
Of speech, we had turned the corner,
and with a n1atter-of-cpurse manner,
hurried by two other bailiffs. and
reached door which bore the inscrip-
zion Witnesses Gallery" Two or
three raps on the door ELECTED digni-
fed old gentleman in dress coat. My
companion smiled insinuatingly. Ny
friend here" said he, is an American
Judge, and wishes to look in for a
was the reply But for a moment.
urged he, at the same time exhibiting
: half crown. Again me lud's bord-s
ers, sir. replied the honest Cerberus.
Ny companion touched the silver to
tHG u0ReIS III tilS = U12 O440~-
knownst' to himself. those fingers clos
ed upon the coin, and averring it was
..auite impossible the door opened,
and we slid gently in.
And in FIVE minutes more we slid
quietly out. "A stuffy barrister was
shutting and suffering to a stolid and
sleepy looking jury I suppose It is
the regular thing, and that American
eloquence and vigor would be shocking
and indecorous, If not inRertinent in
q British court rooul--sand yet this is
the country which once gave delighted
ear TO Erskine and Broughafn. Grattan
and Phillips.
j have no fault to find with Dickens,
who, upon visiting America for the
FIRST time, ana finding no weight of per-
sonai reasons to the contrary, did re-
turn TO his own country and abuse us
heartily. Honesty is very .flin','' and
he must have enjoyed himself vastly.
I wish I could emulate him, but hon.
esty is a more expensive luxury now
than it was then, and the reason is
sbvieus-t there IS but little demand for
IT. As in the hoop skirt trade, the
fashion changed. and the market, over
stocked, fell entirely. Once. in driv-
ing through Hyde Park with some
English friends. my wife sympathetic
ally remarked upon the weary look of
the crowds of faces peering through
the railing. People whom we never
see,'' tersely remarked our lady host.
May they not enter here and enjoy
the drives?n I asked. Never here,
except under private livery" was the
response.
who are tFney?'' inquired my wife.
working people and Americans,
Eas the breezy reply.
Then it was that the disorganized re-
mains of her country's proud bird
came together at the bidding of the
outraged American lady. Then there
were high triturations of homeopathic
doses of eloquence administered for
the benefit of .civilized England, the
ballast of the world Then it was
that the shredded stars and stripes
were waved rhetorically from our Eng
fish broughara. Then it was that the
Bois de Boulogne at Paris, and the
Central Park of New York were quot
ed; the parks where the artisan criti-
cizes at his leisure the landaulet of the
marquis, and the worker jostles the
millionaire on the footpath.
AAA
We went out to dine. A footman in
livery lifted the trains of the ladies,
another ushered US into the reception
room. A French maid waited upon the
ladies to the dressing room canopied
in lilac silk and lace decorated with
moss roses. The hostess appeared in
white corded silk. pink satin petticoa1
with English lace. Pompadour bosom
very, and white gloves. The guests
wore dresses entirely low off OF neck
and shoulders. a fashion undergoing
innovation, much to the chagrin of old
time servers. Everybody knows thai
English cookery-save and except the
roast beef and plum pudding-is ar
abomination. Our dinner was served
after the usual mode a la Russo
Salads without mustard, vegetables
served singly, plates Withdrawn at the
resting of the fork. butter Jabooed
wine changed at every course, light