Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-09

SOTGH1Aiy l6lQ OOWn IN 1n0 IOlG6 VI PlV-
cedure There are about . hundred more
rules about headgear In the house OF
commons, whose members. OF course. sit
with their hats on. and each OF them
must be enforced vigorously by the
speaker else there will be frantic yells OF
"Ordah! Ordah:" from all the old parlia-
mentary fossils on each side Of the
chamber to whom usage" is as the
breath of life.
Likewise the speaker must rebuke the
member Of the house who, in the excite
ment of speaking, ventures to remove
both feet from a certain rug which 10 laid
over the cocoanut mating on each side OF
the chamber. One foot may be taken or
this rug, but not both. or there viii be
more bawMng Of ''Ordaih!' until this ter
rble sOlecism has been put right. The
rule about this is supposed to date from
the days when the knights of the shires
came down to the house with their
swords by their sides and at that time 1t
would no doubt have been risky to- let
the opposing parties get too close TO each
other. but the indstenoe on the thing to
which the time OF parliament II FILTERED
away. -
Since the present speaker was elected
IN 1906. after having been chairman OF
have been many evidences that he pos
sesses a keen sense OF humor, and II he
does not laugh in his sleeve. occasionally,
at the queer figure which he cuts. 1t must
De because MS J0U Is LOO SAdCIlH0 " 6isC
him time to think about it. The word
"Gilbertian'' positively begs to be used IN
writing about the solemn farces that SO
often are enacted in parliament and no
description is more fitting, for historic
scene in which Lowther sustained. not
only the chief, but all the roles.
AT this time he was chairman of COM
mittees. and disorder. having broken out
which he was unable to. auell he had to
report the matter. to the speaker. 1t
happened. however, that Speaker. GULLY
was not present. and therefore it was
Lowther's duty to take his. place as dep-
uty speaker. So he had to stand at the
head of the table as chairman of commit
tees. report to himself what had been
going on. and then step up into the
speakers place and consider the merits
of the case which he had submitted to
himself and decide upon it. Lowther
emerged from this ordeal more gracefully
than man Of less tact and dignity would
have done. but II he didn't feel rather
an ass as they say in England. he must
take himself a lot more seriously than do
most of u.s.
Gladstone once declared that no man in
England. unless it were Henry La
bOuchere. would have the courage to sug-
gest doing away with the speakers wig,
but that was good while ago, and there
are a lot of folk today who would not
lament the disappearance, not only of
the aforesaid wig. but the whole Of MIR,
Speakers state procession, which tn.s
Guides besides the mace bearer and:
other nunkies. a mental whose business
it is to hold up the speakers long train.
AS for the performance that Is gone
through with when the speaker Is elected.
it is funny enough to make cat laugh
He is chosen by a vote OF the whole
house, by the way. and it is the best
evidence Of the unusual capabilities OF
the present speaker that. although an
avowed conservative. and originally elect
ed by a conservative majority In the
chamber, he has continued in once despite
the fact that a liberal administration has
been in power for seven years.
The first thing that has to be done after
the house has chosen its speaker Is to
have it's choice approved by the king.
Nom.nally. that is, for as a matter of
fact the king has very little to say in
the matter. This gracious APPRECIATION
on the part Of his majesty II supposed to
come through the house Of lords. and
prior to obtaining It the speaker-eiect.
wearing ordinary court dress, 1. e., a
swalIowtail coat and knee breeches and
sporting small bob" wig, seats him.
self at the table in the house Of COM
mons. To him there comes black rod
the Official messenger Of the lords. who
escorts him to the sacred precincts Of the.