Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-19
GULLY'S RESIGNATION
Comment on Retirement of
Speaker Of the Commons.
HISTORICAL SERVICE
INTERESTING MATTERS IN CON-
NECT1oN WITH HIGH OFFICE.
Something About Two Most Prominent
Liberal Newspapers Of London
Art and Drama.
HISTORICAL SERVICE


special correspondents or Inc star.
LONDON, June IL. 1905.
The resignation of Mr.. Gully, the speaker
of the house Of commons, takes liberal
from the chair, who will be replaced by q
conservative. In British politics the as
cendancy of a party does not cause the
election of a new speaker. The incumbent
retains his Office under government
either liberal or conservative, but, OF
course, when a speaker resigns the party
in power always puts in its own man.
Mr.. Gully's ten years of Office have been
historical in a large sense. He has wit
messed the death of one sovereign and the
coronation of another. He has witnessed
the death of the two greatest rival states
men of their PERIOD Mr. Gladstone and the
Marquis of Salisbury. He has seen the
procedure of the house almost entirely re-
arranged. He has watched the making OF
much important history both at home and
abroad. Mr.. Gully, too, has come through
a number of scenes, and Is one OF the
best and most successful speakers the house
has had. His friends strongly urged him
to resign at the commencement of the ses-
sion. To this he was himself inclined, and
it was in consequence of urgent representa-
lions made to him from another quarter
that he decided to continue IN hts Office.
1t was understood at that time, however,
that if his health was not maintained he
would resign. That contingency has ar
rived.
1t is perhaps the best tribute to the great
ability and impartiality which Mr.. Gully
displayed in the chair that he is today COM
pared with his predecessor Lord Peel, who
was generally acclaimed as one sof the
greatest of modern speakers. He is praised
for the tact and good temper with which
he has met occasions of difficulty and
stress, for his profound knowledge of the
of he bnnSp stately
nifty with which he presided over its DELHI
erations. He is acknowledged even by
those who most strenuously resisted his
election to have conducted himself with the
most strict impartiality, and if sometimes
his rulings seemed to be unnecessarily Sc
we're, it was generally the party to which
he himself belonged that had cause for
complaint.
If he was indulgent. it was to the party
that opposed his election, and If he was
weak it was to the prime minister who,
when leader of the house, spoke contemp-
tuously of his claims when he was cam
didate for the chair.
Not only does the speaker Of the house of
commons enjoy the material benefits of a
lordly residence at Westminster Palace,
salary of $4,000 a year, f100 year for sta
tionery, and two hogsheads of claret and
1900 ounces of plate on election, but he
enjoys the less substantial advantage of
taking precedence of all other commoners.
BY an act of 1853 it was provided that the
being peers shall have and take place
next after the peers of the realm and the
speaker of the house of commons
Speakers State Coach.
The speaker has state coach for use on
occa sions of ceremonial Importance, but
Mr. Gully in all the years of his Office used
1t only once. AS it is vehicle of some cum
brousness, this Is perhaps not to be Won
dered at. 1t was brought when the faithful
commons were summoned to Buckingham
Palace to congratulate Queen Victoria on
the completion of the sixtieth year of her
reign. The procession of members started
from palace yard, the members all on foot,
preceded by the speaker and sergeant-at-
arms in the state coach drawn by four
gallant gray horses. 1t was a ludcrous
spectacle, and the M. P.'s were glad when
they reached the kindly shelter Of the pal
ace. Some of them, through some over
sight, were not admitted to the throne
room, and to console them a garden party
was given some days later at Windsor Cas-
tie.
The precedent OF giving retiring speak
er a pension of 94,COO year Is not very
old. It dates from the retirement of Mr..
Speaker Shaw-Lefevre in 1857, and it's es-
tablishment was rather curious. The retr-
ing allowance up to that time had been
92,000 a year for two lives Mr.. Shaw
Lefevre found more excellent way. He
said that he could not endure the feeling
ity, and therefore would take $4,000 year
for his own life. He had thereby in the
strange ways of mankind great coInmenda-
ton for an action which was thought hon
orable. generous and publc-spirited,
though when time came for reflection men
were a little puzzled to know why. But
he had been great speaker, at any rate.
Some have thought him the greatest speak
er of modern times.
A very handsome man and of command
ing presence, he had long life with no
small share of dignified retirement on that
$4,000 year He was born in 1874, be-
came speaker in 1889, and retired in 1857.
For his twenty years in the chair he had
lived till 1888, Retiring speakers are now
made peers.
Newspapers Reduced in Price.
When the two most prominent liberal
morning newspapers in London, the Chron-
icle and Daily News, were suddenly re-
duced in price to a half-penny about a
year ago there were many people not nee
essarily of that political complexion who
regretted that liberalism was left without
single representative among the penny
London morning newspapers. This disad-
vantage, as ii was felt to be, is now about
that penny liberal morning Journal, to
be named the Tribune, is shortly to be In
augurated.
The name adopted is appropriate, as the
founder of this new liberal organ is Mr..
Franklin Thomasson greatnephew of John
Bright The policy to be enunciated from
this Tribune Is, In the somewhat ambi-
tious and pretentious language of its pro-
motors, Ito cooperate In spirit of reason
and free discussion with the forces of lib
eralism in widening the area of liberty, re-
distributing radically the economic burdens
of empire, and generally furthering the