The Washington herald., 1912-12-10


OF the greatest Of modern speakers, has
drawn attention to the history or that
great office, whose importance was coe-
val with that of the House OF Commons
as stated before in these letters. Mr..
Arthur Peel presided over the House
with unsurpassed dignity and efficiency
from 1884 to 1895. 1t was long term for
which 20 hold a rather onerous ONCE
but 1t is short in comparison with the
thirty-four years during which Arthur
Onslow occupied the chair and the
eighteen years of Charles Shaw Lefevre.
The Parliament of 1876 is memorable
as that in which "the speakers otiiceI
first emerged from the twilight which
surrounds its origin into the full hght
of day." At the close Of the session Sir
Thomas HungerforG, specified In the
rolls as having less paroles pour les
Communes d'Angleterre en- Parliament
made a daring speech to the throne
calling the attention OF the King ed
ward lid to various grievances and al
legged infringements Of the liberties or
his subjects, both male and female. Sir
Thomas Hungerford was head OF pow
GERS Frankleyn, full oft TYNE he was
a knight of the Schire," for his career
at Westminster extended over thirty-slS
years
Sir James Pickering, head Of a historic
Westmoreland family, became Speaker IN
1873. His address, asserting the right OF
free speech and declaring the loyalty or
the House to the throne. remains upon
the rolls, and is the first OF it's kind on
a
Lowther To him succeeded Sir John
Guildesborough, knight OF the Shire for
Essex.
This Speaker, in 1880, set an important
precedent. which foreshadowed the mod
ern procedure in the Committee of Sup
ply. He demanded of the crown that a
schedule OF the exact sums needed and
the purposes for which they were re-
quired should be laid before the Com
mons Thus the annually recurring
phrase in the Kings speech. Estimates
for the expenditure OF the year will. in
due course, be laid before you" is the
logical outcome OF a procedure adopted
more than 500 years ago.
In 1iO4, when Sir Arnold Savage.
Knight Of the Shire for Kent was
Speaker, the subsidies granted. liberal
though they We're, were voted subject to !
the novel conditions that the money |
raised should be received by treasurers. |
by whose appointment Parliament could |
feel confidence that the supplies should |
not be misappropriated. Savage boldly |
reproved Henry ". He is the first !
Speaker who formulated petitions. that
redress OF grievances should proceed the |
granting OF supplies.
In the reign Of the liOn-hearted Henry |
V. the office OF Speaker was filled by |
Thomas Chaucer, son Of GeOffrey Chau-
Ger. the father of English poetry. Thomas
Chaucer was Speaker in five Parlia-
ments.
The first Parliament OF Edward " !
chose for the Speaker a Yorkshire
knight, Sir James Strangeways. \ new
precedent was introduced on his presen-
tation. Not only did he make the GUS
tomary excuse" and demand for the
continuance of the privileges Of the
House, but he offered a formal address
situation and the events Of the War of
the Roses. This precedent is the origin
of the present custom under which each
Parliament begins It's work with de-
bate on the Kings address.
The roll OF Speakers includes the il
lustr1ous names OF Sir Thomas More and
Sir Edward Coke. but both served only
for brief terms. More was chosen in
l523 by Parliament which, owing TO the
ravages of fire in Westminster. met in
the large chambers of the BIackfrairs
Priory, on whose site now stands the
London Times office. Tough Old Coke
was Speaker for only two months Two
brothers. Randolph and Thomas Crewe,
belonging to the same family as the
present Lord CTewe, served in the chair
during the first half of the seventeenth
William Lerthlll. the famous Speaker
Of the Long Parliament,' played a re-
markable part in a most stirring period
Of our Parliamentary history. Lenthall
was in the chair when Charles I, the
only King of England who ever pene-
trated into a House OF Commons in ses-
sion. entered the House in quest of five
hostile members, and finding the birds
flown. withdrew amid angry cries Of
Privilege. Privilege" from the inCensed
House.
1t is curious that three of the Crom-
weIliOn Speakcrs-Pelham, Rous. and
Bampfylde-were members of old knight
|
cestOr of Lord Winterton. occupied the
chair for ten years. 1t was during his
tenure of Office that the inimitable dia-
rist, Samuel Pepys. in 1868, enthralled
the House of Commons with his three [
hours speech, vindiCating the admins
tratiOn of the navy.
Arthur Onslow, greatest of all British
Speakers. presided over the Commons
with distinction from 1727 to l76l. He /
s rightly described as "a whole hearted (
supporter and fearless advocate of the ]
privileges of tn. House of Commons, I
whenever it chanced TO come into con- !
lict with the Lords" 1t was a touch =
ng and eloquent speech in which the I
Speaker bade farewell to the |
House in 176l. IIatsell. author of a ia
nous book on Parliamentary precedents, !
vas clerk during Arthur Onslow's Speak :
.rship. '
Another distinguished Speaker was I
Charles Manners Sutton, who served in 7
;even Parliaments, and would have been !
,e-elected an eighth time in 1885, but for !
his open connection with the Tory party.
Manners Sutton. AS Speaker saw the {
'eform bill Of 1872 carried through all i
is stages. 1t was during this Speaker 2
hip that Erskin May. the unmatched :
on British Parliamentary pro- =
.edure first became officially connected |
With the House Of Commons.
The speakers of the Victorian era kent
IL the fame of the chair. Prominent q
mong them, and not unworthy to rank =
With Arthur OnsOw, was Charles Shaw
lefevre. whose tenure of Office extended a
rom 1899 to 1871 ''Shaw-Lefevre was the n