The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-26
INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT PARLIAMENT


ted TO ten of a period in England when
boys even could leave their schoolboolls
and be transported at once straight TO
Westminster, In 1913 there were no
fewer than forty youths, al in their
teens, who had seats IN the House Of
Commons Charles James Fox. for in
stance, was elected and sat at nine
teen, and the poet Waller was full
blown NJ F. when still two years
younger
In the last two Parliaments there
were young men Of twenty-five,
twenty-three. and tWenty-four sitting by
the side of men old enough 10 be their
erandfathers, But this does not In real
lty happen often nowadays In the days
J speak OF il was no uncommon thing
TO pay as high as 10000 pounds sterling
Tor 2 seat In the Commons and even more.
and one instance is on record where 90
pounds and life pension Of 70 pounds
annually was offered for "a single vote.
The longest address OF recent years
during election was issued By "a West
country candidate. 1t contained more
than 1000 words. As a seton 10 il there
was the famous one issued 20 the electors
Of Birkenhead, near Liverpool by Sir
Elliott Lees. It consisted Of the single
word Pretoria" cabled from Pretoria
IN South Africa, where he was serving
with the Yeomanry
An oft-quoted address was that Of a
candidate at Merthyr Tydhl, in Wales.
about ten years ago. Here it is. 81 have
lived, loved and married owned children
and houses, experienced the world the
flesh ana the devil, made and lost. made
manufactured, built. lent borrowed.
bought and sold" But such joyous ef-
fusions are not often met with in Eng
land, the addresses and what in America
would be called stump speeches" being
colorless and cold beside those made by
French candidates for the Chamber OF
Deputies.
For really weird election addresses one
must go, in England, to the many in the
provinces who aspire 10 the modest honor
OF local councillor. Here is an address
made at Leicester by a Christian Social
ist tailor about a year ago, and it is
pathetic 10 think that this really en-
phatc address should have netted him
only fourteen votes:
Ho began By asking the electors TO an
oint their eyes with the Spite Of love.
and wipe them clean with the napkin or
Righteousness. The philippe is too long
TO quote in full, but its import was that
every worker was TO have a fixed wage
OF three pounds per week. with free
travel and all taxation ended.
IT want YOU the tailor went on 10 say.
TO put me into power and send all school
children on tour round the world during
the last four years Of their school age ar
the nations expense. 10 make them bright
and Intellectual men and women. 10 be
wei guarded by our soldiers and sailors.
under the charge of their teachers and
eminent physicians" He also intended
''tO put the whole British empire In an
ple-pie order. when every man shan
smoke his pipe Of comfort free from
taxation, with beer Of purity, while lis
tening 10 the orchestral strains OF parish
bands" Discussing rival candidate. our
socialistic tailor had this 20 say.
"One OF Us is an honest man; but Which2
Mr.. Blank leads q luxurious lie among
princes OF finance, though be IS absolutely
without resources, though his newspaper
( brings him nothing, and his relatives
. have 70 support him; while ] live mod
esty IN the provinces. Mr.. Blank con-
fes-es that he has not paid his bills. while
] even have paid the debts Of others"
Ii Was a Hlbernian candidate who said.
MY posterity belongs 20 one Of the most
famous Irish families. and myself being
a man Of unassailable integrity. Of clear
intelligence and Of exhaustive win DOW
or, I promise that viii do my utmost
for orr prehistoric town
A unique record is held by Earl Mel
son. who recently celebrated his eighty
eighth birthday. He is the Father Of
the House Of Lords" More than that
he enjoys the distinction OF having been
a member OF that august assembly dur
ing the whole OF Queen VIctoria's reign
The venerable lord was born in the time
OF the third George. so that ne has lived
under six sovereigns. and Tor upward Of
seventy years he has drawn q pension OF
SEQ sterling a week, granted ~ the
government % the descendants OF the
victor OF Trafalgar in perpetuity.
Lord Nelson succeeded 10 the earldom
so long ago that often he is confused
with the hero Of that famous battle. 4
poor old woman once was taken 10
church 70 see the present lord The
I
20 describe the lords appearance. when
the old lady exclaimed. ooh. you need
not tell me what he Is like I shall know
him directly I set ewes on him" When
asked how she could recognize the earl.
whom she had never seen before. she eX-
claimed: why. by his one eve and one
arm, OF course She meant the hero of
Trafalgar.
The fact that just before the end Of
the session which was prorogued last
month Mr. Haldane celebrated the TWEEN
ty-ffth anniversary OF his parliamentary
connection with East Lothian serves as
q reminder that there are but a few
members of the Commons who are able
70 date their career at Westminster
back TO the eighties The present
father OF the House is Mr.. Burt He
has represented Morpeth since the gen
eral election OF 1874, the year when Mr.
BalfOur likewise entered the assembly.
But the defeat Of the leader OF The op-
position at Manchester in 1896 deprived
him Of the position Of father despite
the fact that a few weeks later he was
elected as a member for the city of Lon
don. Sir Charles Dixie and Mr. Chap
lin entered Parliament as far back as
1865, but neither of them has sat con-
tinuously. so that Mr.. Chamberlain, who
first appeared at St. stephens in the
summer Of 1876 for the then undivided
constituency Of Birmingham, is next to
the father" of the house.
To conclude my parliamentary talk Of
several days, ! should say that
at one time it would have been
believed 10 be necessary for the
King personally to prorosue Parliament
on the eve Of a dissolution like the re-
cont one n WIS 50 rerarflad as late p