The Washington herald., 1910-01-30

/ permission 10 speak: a practice which has
been in vogue since the tenure Of Office
Of Sir John Trevor, who sqUinted most
abominably, and whose obnquity Of vision
led to ali sorts Of embarrassing mistakes.
/ While the speaker generally comedies
| priority to newcomers who are about 10
address the House for the first time, he
is so impartial in the performance Of this
particular duty. that within the memory
| Of the present generation, at any rate.
no speaker Of the House OF Commons has
ever been taxed with unfairness IN this
respect.
| OF course this extremely antiquated
method is attended by some dissdVan-
! tages. and It often happens that members
/ are prevented from addressing the House
! for weeks together, and debarred from
taking any part in the debate. owing to
their failure 10 catch the speakers eye.
| Failing eyesight. under the circum-
stances, is an almost insuperable bar 10
the retention Of the speakership, and it was
solely on this ground that Speaker Brand.
| one Of the most remarkable occupants OF
! the Office during the reign Of Queen Vic
torla, was compelled TO resign his Office,
during the closing term Of which he was
! obliged 70 wear gold-rimmed spectacles,
! which had a very disconceTting effect
| Indeed, il would have been preferable
| from a legislative point Of view. II ne had
worn a monOcle, since in that case there
would never have been any doubt as 10
the direction Of the speakers eye
/ Nor would a monacle have seemed 50
out Of keeping with the speakers full
bottomed wig and judicial robes as one
might be disposed to imagine.
/ Thus, several judges wear monacles on
the bench; notably Sir Robert ROmer. one
OF the Lords Justices OF Appeal. the
single glass giving his clean-cut judicial
| face a decided appearance Of keen and
( critical penetration. 1t IS said that when
/ he looks through it at a witness, the
latter no longer dares 10 prevaricate,
but feels the necessity Of avowing the full
truth; and that It likewise was Of great
use TO him in his dealings with juries,
since, without going TO the trouble Of
making an verbal remark, 70 which cOun-
SCI might take exception, and put forward
| as ground for an application for a new
trial, he merely, by the way IN which he
allowed his glass 10 drop from his eye,
would convey to the jury his opinion as
10 the veracity Of the statement OF a wit
ness, or as 10 the value Of any particular
argument OF the lawyers pleading before
him.
The speaker takes no part IN the de-
bates, and has no vote, except n one
solitary circumstance which very rarely
occurs. namely, when the numbers are
equal Then he has the casting vote.
and It is 10 q casting vote OF this kind
that the act Of settlement was passed
a little over 200 years ago, by virtue OF
which King Edward occupies the throne
Of the British empire. II ell the history
OF Parliament, extending over many cen
turtles, there have only been fifteen in
stances where the speaker has thus been
called upon TO exercise his prerogaJtve.
I The Office OF speaker carries with Il g
magnificent official residence in the
70 northern portion Of the Palace OF West
b. minister. the bright and lofty rooms be-
ing lighted with great windows, COM
p mand!Ds views Of the Thames. His resi-
dence IS most luxuriOusIy furnished, with
q full equipment Of plate, servants, car
riages. horses, &c.
Moreover, It is lighted and heated free
Of any expense to his purse, and he re-
ceives a salary OF $4,000 a year. allow
ances amounting 10 almost as much
; more. all sorts OF odd perQuisites. some
Ct them CT very ancient origin, besides a
] retiring pension OF S20,DJ0 a year for the
, remainder Of his life. Moreover, Il IS
the prerogative OF each speaker Of the
, House Of Commons TO be offered q peer
5 age and a seat in the House Of Lords on
D his retirement.
While the emoluments are liberal, they
may be described as well earned. For
! the post OF speaker calls for the exercise
of the most superhuman patience. for no
matter what twaddler is on his legs, the
speaker must give, his whole and urdi-
vided attention, often for long hours in
succession. He cannot slip out to the
smoking room or 70 the lobby, but muss
remain in the chair, bored literally to
death.
Ike sad Promeths1s fastened u the rocs
| In vain be looks for pity % the clock
|
| The speaker Of the last House OF Com
mons. and the one. therefore. who is
certain 10 be reelected on the meeting OF
Parliament a fortnight hence. is the Right
Hon. Sir James William Lowther Con-
servative member for the Penrith diyi-
sion OF Cumberland for near a quarter OF
a century. formerly under secretary OF
foreign affairs. and son OF the younger
brother of the third Earl OF Lonsdale.
His own younger brother. Sir Gerard
lIowther. IS British Ambassador at Con-
stantinople, and married 10 a daughter
OF the late Anterior Blight, OF PhRa-
delphia. and Newport, R I
Probably James W Lowther has suf-
fered less from boredom than any OF
his predecessors IN the chair For he is
a most gifted caricaturist, and while ap-
parently taking notes during long and
dreary debates, relieves the tedium Of
the hour by caricaturing both the speak
ers and their listeners
| In fact no member can ever be quite
certain that he has not been quietly
taken OFF, by the speaker, with al his
weakest points emphasized, in such a
manner as to render him ridiculous. and
1t is the fear which the speaker thus IN
spires, quite as much as anything else,
which enables him 10 maintain discipline
with so much more facility than any
previous occupant Of the office.
He has the keenest sense OF humor
is one of the foremost fencers in England.
and is never so happy as when riding 20
hounds. Il is no wonder. therefore. that
he should have achieved the reputation
Of being one Of the most successful and