The Irish standard., 1905-07-01
They Would Look All Right At Parish
Meeting, He is Inclined to Think,
But are Not Awe-InspirinR.
An Outside View of the House Verv I'M
posing, While an Inside View Clearly
Emphasizes the Imposition.

faces the owners of which I would
rather not meet after night upon a
lonely road unless l had pair of pis.
tolls on me, and felt sure that had for.
gotten my purse. The stature of some
legislators was short enough to appear
ludicrous.
These particular offenders may have
been five feet two, but-perhaps be.
cause the unexpectedness of the thing
confused mel took them at the time
TO be two feet five. l speculated
whether constituents get as good value
in a couple of feet of legislator as in
the full-grown article. 1 suppose they
do, and that the very little man is a
monster of compressed wisdom. A
comically dressed individual with
sword at his side, who seemed to be
purposely put in tights the better to
display splendid sample of bow leg,
passed. He was actually smiling as
If he enjoyed life. I said he is pro.
vided for the amusement of the mem.
bers in their brief moments of relaxa-
tion; but a friend who knew what he
was talking about told me he was an
assistant sergeant-at-arms, and pro-
fessional chucker-out to the chamber.
and that the costume was traditional,
So inferred that he was one of the
two jokes which Noah preserved from
the overwhelming waters. Seeing in
corner stout, norid-faced man in a
brown felt hat holding half dozen
tall-hatted ones hanging ON his words,
!, expecting to hear some awful state
secret, had the ill manners to caves
drop; but catching the words, "He
wasn't maybe Eleasant-looking, but I
give you my word he was the best rat.
ter between Kent and Kingdomcome,"
l concluded that they were only gos-
, siping about Mr.. Chamberlain, or some
other distinguished politician, and
went away
| went to seat in the gallery The
House was in Committee of Supply for
Navy Estimates. There was about
| the size of some dozen legislators scat
, tered In the seats Of the dimly lighted
chamber below. One legislator was
on his legs at the table droning in
i monotone; none Of the others gave
, signs of life except when at rare inter.
walls something between a groan and
a snarl same from one or another of
them. Upon this the speaker hastily
said something in different key, and
Immediately after relapsed into his
marvellous monotone again. For fif-
teen or twenty minutes was amused
! at all this, but after that it began to
grow on me that Dante had fourished
too soon, or that his Imagination,
amazing though it was, had it's limits.
Had he ever in fact or fancy caught
the British House of Commons in Com.
mittee of Supply on Naval Estimates,
and introduced it into his HELL" no
man might fear that his fame would
ever perish.
| stirred up a companion and asked
him, What impression does this thing
give you?" He replied, ut makes me
feel that nothing matters" and re.
lapsed again.
I gathered that the thirty or forty
poor sufferers who sat in the chamber
enduring this with patience which
found positively elevating, did so be-
cause it was their only one chance OF
making speeches, and of having these
speeches reported by criminally in.
dulgent press, and consequently, read
by their innocent constituents down
the country; and of having their coun-
ty paper in its eloquent editorial say
that "the collective wisdom of the
three kingdoms in Senate assembled
hung for hours spellbound upon
our honored members weighty words"
The handful of heroes who work out
their salvation in such a committee
bravely hold their seats while one and
another of them huns in his turn
hold their seats thus bravely, each
on the commendable principle, "I'll lis
ten to you if you'll listen to me" The