Evening star., 1911-06-04
SOLONS IN ENGLAND
Parliament Business Conduct
ed in Orderly Manner.
SPEAK IN LOW VOICES
Members of Houses Of Lords and
Commons Never Excited.
SESSIONS SOMETIMES LONG
Business Quickly Dispatched, How
ever, and Little Time Is Wasted.
Power of the Speaker.
Special From a Staff Correspondent.


LONDON, May 30. 1911.
So many Americans have set forth here
tofore the striking differences between
the legislative procedure in England and
the United States that 1t is needless to
note them, yet I am constrained to touch
upon certain phases of the British way OF
transacting public business. 1t has been
my good fortune to see not only the
house of commons and the house of lords
In action, through the courtesy of the
officials at the American embassy, but
also a committee of the former by invita-
ton of former Washingtonian now en-
gagged in business here, and just at pres
ent greatly interested in the shaping of
the governments new copyright bill.
Furthermore 1 have attended session of
the London county council body said to
be more powerful than the King of Eng
land, and also a committee of the same
charged with supervision over educa-
tional matters.
Though 1T has been said that the Eng
lish people take their legislative processes
very seriously. 1t can not be held that
they go about their work in spirit or IN
tense earnestness. There Is, as far as
have seen in these various visits to the
places l have mentioned, lack OF the
almost emotional determination that
characterizes the average American as
sembly of similar character. The speeches
are delivered in a quiet manner, almost
conversational In style. the speakers ad-
dressing themselves to their themes In a
rather casual, incidental fashion that
contrasts strongly with the sledge ham,
mer action of most western legislators.
1t may be that this is because only q
comparatively few men engage in the dis
cussions, and these come to regard de-
bate as perfunctory, academic per-
formance not in the least essential to the
actual working of the machine, but an
academic tradition rendered necessary by
long custom.
The house OF commons was considering
the parliament bill, the liberal coalition s
proposal to circumvent the lords, whether
reformed or not. the afternoon l was
present In the small strangers gallery
facing the speaker. Both the prime min
lister and Mr.. Balfour were present, and
the benches were we'll filled, almost to
overflowing. American readers should
by now have learned. through repeated
information, that there are not enough
seats in the commons for more than half
the members elected to that body, and
thus a full house by no means signifies
the attendance Of all the members. The
bill had progressed in committee of the
whole to a stage approaching compile
tion. The government had adopted a
new kind of wholesale amendment
slaughter called the kangaroo cloture,
whereby the chairman could refuse to
of items on the amendment list deemed
by him to be irrelevant or unimportant.
Party Feeling Ran High.
Party feeling was said to be running
high and the newspapers-served daily
as to parliamentary news and gossip by
members writing for ''space''-were con-
stantly describing the situation as tense
and exciting" L must confess that be-
yond the interest felt in seeing several
notable personages rise and make partly
audible remarks, and in witnessing a
great national function in operation, I
which began at 2:45 and lasted, read
the next morning, until 1918. / had
gone determined to stay through and
make the most of my opportunity. So
when at $50 o'clock the pangs Of hunger
assailed me l slipped out and obtained a
large round .'passout' card from the
red-taped official somewhere between the
gallery and the lower corridors who had
taken my name. address. sponsor and
credentials on entrance. emitting me to
return and take my chances on getting
a seat later. But 1 did not return. Din
ner dulled my appetite for the dreary
flavor OF only partly understood speeches,
broken by an occasional division" and
souvenir and to spend the evening
more entertainingiy elsewhere.
There was a spice of spirit in some of
the earlier proceedings. during the "ques-
tlons," when the government members
rise and make more or less evasive an
swers to the pointed. insinuating, even &C
cusing inquiries that have been filed be-
forehand by both members of the opposi-
ton and of the ministerial coalition.
On this particular day the prime minis
~ n IN az a n
ing question raised by certain irritated
members of his own party relative to the
preponderance of uniOniSts-Opponents of
the government-among the appointments
to the magistracy by the liberal lord high
chancellor. Mr.. Asquith read his answer
as do all the members of the government
at these junctureS. and gave to the occa-
sion not the least note Of emphasis. Had
not been aware from previous readine
that the question was important he might
have been reciting a passage from a
treatise on dry farming for all the I'M
preston his performance created. On the
floor there was an evident keenness OF
attention. and now and then there were
murmurs from one side of the long mar
row chamber Or the other as the mem
bers emitted what were in the printed
reports of the days proceedings the next
morning noted as .'cheers or "derisive
cheers
"Cheers" Not Very Loud.
Let me interject a word of warning al
this point. Let no American reader Of
the English parliamentary debates think
that the commons are in a continue
state of, vociferous applause or disap
proval simply because of the frequent ap
pearance of these two phrases in thu
prints. The loudest cheers / heard the
afternoon l was present-and a Londonel
who often attends the sessions assure.
me that they were probably quite We
| hement-wouid never be heard above the
| ordinary buzz of side talk In the Hous,
| of Representatives. Members do unques
tionably utter sounds of approval by say
| ing Hear. hear" in about the ordinary
| tone of talking speech. or sounds of dis
sent by saying something like "Boo-oo,'
| or 1t may be "Baa-aa." Everything de
| pends upon the pitch OF the voice. / sup
pose the cheers and the .'derisivt
| cheers are sharply distinct to the par
| lainentary ear. but to my own they
| sounded very much alike.
| Just here. another brief digression ant
l will return to the debate. An English
| man claps his hands in approval OF &
| clever cricketer who has made an excep
| tional play. but he rarely cheers him. Ht
/ cheers" his party leader in commons
| but would offend the acutest sensibilitie:
OF the house by cia?p!ng his palms to
game attended by members of parliament
while their places at Westminster were
| taken temporarily by a squad OF earnes
,nNtx