New-York tribune., 1910-12-25
Anglo-American Memories
XCTX.
copyright. 1910. by George W. small.y,

is parental but peremptory. and appeal
from his decision there is none-or
none at the moment. and therefore prac-
tically none at all.
But it is easier to form q notion of
Mr.. Lowther from a little acouaintance
In private life than from the Speakers
Cha1r; easier to form and. much more
difficult to express. But I will venture
10 take an instance 1 was visiting at
Campsea Ash three years ago when Mr.
Lowther came down, after a late a6-
Journment of the House. There was a
crisis. There have been many crises of
late years. and / will not say which
The Speaker had had to interpose. The
whole situa ton was delicate and difficult
At dinner, for which he arrived with
the coffee, nothing was said. Later in
the evening there was reference to the
incident of the day, and one of us asked
how 1t had ended. That question was
easily answered, and 1 think nobody
would have put another. But having an
| swered it, the Speaker went on He
gave us such an account of what had
happened as nobody else could have
given, because nobody else had seen it
from the Chair. He did not hesitate to
| lay the blame where it belonged He
| told US what his rulings had been and
why. He summed up the case as judge
| on the bench might sum it up: strong
judge, strong enough TO impose his view
or his viii on the jury while leaving
them. to all appearance. free and inde
pendent. The Speaker, as l am always
saying, has. as Speaker. no politics In
private and before his constituents of
Cumberland Mr.. Lowther is still Con-
servative. / will not say whether he was
Conservative or Liberal during this ex-
position: but ne was. for the purposes
of his statement, one or the other. He
had formed a strong opinion and ex-
pressed it strongly. No bitterness, of
course. Anything like bitterness or ran
cor is alien to his nature; as it is to
the nature of most strong men. But
when he had ended his account he had
carried us all with him. We were like
the jury who said it was no credit to
certain great barrister to win so many
causes. because he was always on the
right side.
weather permits Mrs. Lowther receives
her friends on the Terrace of the Houses
of Parliament and gives them tea. There
is usually a large company of guests
women In the majority, not unnaturaiiy-
If the state of business in the House
permits, the Speaker appears for half an
hour or less. He is in full dress. minus
lla Ia i6
aside his authority of manner. He is
simple; most Englishmen are: and tee
simplicity is apt to increase as the rank
or position increases. In the House he
is vigilant determined, unrelaXing; it
does not answer to be otherwise. Here
on the Terrace all that is gone He is
simply entertaining his wife's guests. II
you care to see whether he succeeds in
this praiseworthy effort you have only to
look into the faces Of the women to
whom he is talking. Mrs. Lowther as
hostess has the kindness which under
lies all social successes; the graciousness
which a hostess of high place must have;
the social knowledge and diplomacy in
cidental to, and also Indispensable in,
the discharge of her duties. Both have
the art of putting people at their ease.
The state and splendor of the Speaker
ship are kept up, no matter who is
Speaker. The Speakers House is part
OF the Houses of Parliament. You drive
through Palace Yard and through an
archway facing the entrance. and the
Speakers House is at the opposite end
Of the court. 1t was designed as
house of hospitality. When you have
climbed the staircase to the first floor
you may pass from room to room, each
| opening into the other and ali looking
upon the river, till you come to the
great dining room hung with official por-
traits with seats for some sixty guests
at table. Crowded as these rooms often
social life of London, they them
selves brilliant. When the Speaker
gives his Parliamentary dinners every
body comes in uniform or in court dress
At Mrs. Lowther's evening parties there
is often the same blaze Of color. not al
ways to the advantage of the more deli
cate beauty of the gowns worn by the
women. The Speakers salary is $4,000
a year. plus the house and large allow
ances for keeping it UP. 1t is still the
predominant opinion in England that the
dignity of great offices of state should
he adequately mainta aimed.