And Thus I Now, For The First Time, Saw The Whole Of The British
Nation Assembled In Its Representatives, In Rather A Mean-Looking
Building, That Not A Little Resembles A Chapel.
The Speaker, an
elderly man, with an enormous wig, with two knotted kind of tresses,
or curls, behind, in
A black cloak, his hat on his head, sat
opposite to me on a lofty chair; which was not unlike a small
pulpit, save only that in the front of there was no reading-desk.
Before the Speaker's chair stands a table, which looks like an
altar; and at this there sit two men, called clerks, dressed in
black, with black cloaks. On the table, by the side of the great
parchment acts, lies a huge gilt sceptre, which is always taken
away, and placed in a conservatory under the table, as soon as ever
the Speaker quits the chair; which he does as often as the House
resolves itself into a committee. A committee means nothing more
than that the House puts itself into a situation freely to discuss
and debate any point of difficulty and moment, and, while it lasts,
the Speaker partly lays aside his power as a legislator. As soon as
this is over, some one tells the Speaker that he may now again be
seated; and immediately on the Speaker being again in the chair, the
sceptre is also replaced on the table before him.
All round on the sides of the house, under the gallery, are benches
for the members, covered with green cloth, always one above the
other, like our choirs in churches, in order that he who is speaking
may see over those who sit before him. The seats in the gallery are
on the same plan. The members of parliament keep their hats on, but
the spectators in the gallery are uncovered.
The members of the House of Commons have nothing particular in their
dress. They even come into the House in their great coats, and with
boots and spurs. It is not at all uncommon to see a member lying
stretched out on one of the benches while others are debating. Some
crack nuts, others eat oranges, or whatever else is in season.
There is no end to their going in and out; and as often as any one
wishes to go out, he places himself before the Speaker, and makes
him his bow, as if, like a schoolboy, he asked tutor's permission.
Those who speak seem to deliver themselves with but little, perhaps
not always with even a decorous, gravity. All that is necessary is
to stand up in your place, take off your hat, turn to the Speaker
(to whom all the speeches are addressed), to hold your hat and stick
in one hand, and with the other to make any such motions as you
fancy necessary to accompany your speech.
If it happens that a member rises who is but a bad speaker, or if
what he says is generally deemed not sufficiently interesting, so
much noise is made, and such bursts of laughter are raised, that the
member who is speaking can scarcely distinguish his own words. This
must needs be a distressing situation; and it seems then to be
particularly laughable, when the Speaker in his chair, like a tutor
in a school, again and again endeavours to restore order, which he
does by calling out "To order, to order," apparently often without
much attention being paid to it.
On the contrary, when a favourite member, and one who speaks well
and to the purpose, rises, the most perfect silence reigns, and his
friends and admirers, one after another, make their approbation
known by calling out, "Hear him," which is often repeated by the
whole House at once; and in this way so much noise is often made
that the speaker is frequently interrupted by this same emphatic
"Hear him." Notwithstanding which, this calling out is always
regarded as a great encouragement; and I have often observed that
one who began with some diffidence, and even somewhat
inauspiciously, has in the end been so animated that he has spoken
with a torrent of eloquence.
As all speeches are directed to the Speaker, all the members always
preface their speeches with "Sir" and he, on being thus addressed,
generally moves his hat a little, but immediately puts it on again.
This "Sir" is often introduced in the course of their speeches, and
serves to connect what is said. It seems also to stand the orator
in some stead when any one's memory fails him, or he is otherwise at
a loss for matter. For while he is saying "Sir," and has thus
obtained a little pause, he recollects what is to follow. Yet I
have sometimes seen some members draw a kind of memorandum-book out
of their pockets, like a candidate who is at a loss in his sermon.
This is the only instance in which a member of the British
parliament seems to read his speeches.
The first day that I was at the House of Commons an English
gentleman who sat next to me in the gallery very obligingly pointed
out to me the principal members, such as Fox, Burke, Rigby, etc.,
all of whom I heard speak. The debate happened to be whether,
besides being made a peer, any other specific reward should be
bestowed by the nation on their gallant admiral Rodney. In the
course of the debate, I remember, Mr. Fox was very sharply
reprimanded by young Lord Fielding for having, when minister,
opposed the election of Admiral Hood as a member for Westminster.
Fox was sitting to the right of the Speaker, not far from the table
on which the gilt sceptre lay. He now took his place so near it
that he could reach it with his hand, and, thus placed, he gave it
many a violent and hearty thump, either to aid, or to show the
energy with which he spoke.
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