A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
I BAD heard that the House of Commons was once St. Stephen's Chapel ; and thought that its ample area, where ascending ranges of seats at the sides displaced the pews and stalls, with high-arched Gothic roof surmounting, would not be an inappropriate place for the meeting of such an assembly. Though " —
through the lofty aisle and fretted vault
The pealinganthem sweird the note or praise" no longer, and the "applause of listening senates," responsive to the flowing periods of some modern CHATHAM, has succeeded to the deep diapason of the organ and the shrill voices of the choristers, the meta- morphosis was not more extraordinary than that of a pew-fitted church turned into a vestry-room, and made the scene of parochial bickerings. The dull homily read in droning tone, with nasal twang, has given place to the tedious prosing of a lengthy speech. As a " stranger in .London," I felt a natural curiosity to hear the deliberations of the
• Commons of England ; and I found my way to Westminster Hall about six o'clock in the evening. After threading my devious way through wide but intricate passages, opening many wrong doors by the way, I entered a lobby, along which an avenue was formed by a number of persons assembled, leading to a pair of folding doors. I am right, said I, this is evidently the Gallery-door; and I mixed with a few decent-looking persons who were proceeding towards it, and was about entering, when I was stopped by a powdered gentleman in black, who inquired what was my business there ; or if I had Mr. Speaker's order? Now I had been made aware that the sight of Mr. King's token was a better talisman than the order of a member; so in answer to his question I slipped a half-crown into the powdered gen- tleman's hand ; but, to my surprise, he refused it, saying, " You are in a mistake, Sir; it is the Gallery you want ; " directing me to a narrow doorway in one corner. I apologized, and proceeded up a narrow stair- case to a green door, where another whiteheaded person told me that the Gallery was full. Not liking to be disappointed, I politely asked if he were quite certain, at the same time slipping the talisman into his band: he said he would see, and, returning, admitted me up a shorter and narrower stair into what would be the organ-loft of a chapel. The seats were filled, and I was fain to stand in the narrow doorway, like one of the Cariatides, my head touching the ceiling. I stood for a moment in astonishment. Instead of the lofty roof and spacious aisles of a Gothic church, here was a small antiquated Presbyterian-looking chapel, with a gallery on each side, all of dull oak, and supported by slender cast-iron pillars, and having a low, flat, white-washed roof, from the centre of which hung a large old-fashioned brass chandelier and four other small ones, with candles. I had thought all public places were lighted with gas. The lower part of the chapel was fitted up with benches along each side, leaving a passage in the middle ; which was partly obstructed by a table—like the communion-table of a meeting- house—on which lay some books and a golden mace glittering in the light; the mace and the chandelier being the only bright objects in the scene.
At-this table sat two fat and florid-faced persons in counsellors' wigs and gowns, looking on. Behind them, in place of a pulpit, was a tall-backed seat, with a sort of little roof or sounding-board over at, with the King's arms thereon. In this seat reclined, in an easy but elegant attitude, another florid-faced personage, in a long, flapped wig, whose lappets even seemed to flow gracefully; his look beamed with suailty and good-humour; he had a twinkling eye, and a bland but roguish smile played about his lips; his manner was quiet, cordial, and gentlemanly. There was a continual bustle and hum as in a hive of bees, or-en 'Change; no one seemed to be doing any thing, however, but all seemed to have something to say. All this while, an industrious person wasthammering out. a string of words, to-which no one seemed to.be paying attention. I soon became sensible, however, of the pre- valence of that common malady catch-cold:: the symptoms of several members were really distressing, though I had not at first remarked it; but at last the resonance of pocket-handkerchiefs and the violent fits of coughing became so general, and the sufferers grew so restless with the exertion—many of them shuffling their feet and groaning with pain --that the speaker could not be heard, and was fain to sit down. I observed with. surprise, that several persons near me most indecorously and unfeelingly laughed at these painful symptoms ; and on my remark- ing on this in a whisper to my next neighbour, he told me, with a state of astonishment, that this was the way in which the House manifested its impatience ; and then it occurred to me that the coughing was un- usually bard and forced.
There was now a stir in the House ; and after some conversation, the bland gentleman with the rosy smiling face left his seat, and a bald-
headed portly man seated himself beside the two wigged persons at the table, under which the mace was now laid. There was soon after a great rush of members into the body of the House, and spectators were beginning to fill the side-galleries. I went out with some other persons near me, who I supposed were like myself going to try for a front' seat in one of these side-galleries ; and after poking about a little, I found my way in, and seated myself on a very comfortable cushioned bench, which I much preferred to the matted seat I had left. But I had scarcely time to felicitate myself on the agreeable change, before a person in black, with a badge hung round his neck, inquired politely, if I were a member of the House? I said no, that I was only a listener! To which he replied, in a sharp uncivil tone, singularly at variance with that of his question, that this was the Member's Gallery, and not a place for me ; I must go round into the Strangers' Gallery. I had some difficulty in getting in again ; but when I did, the scene presented a singular contrast. All was quiet in the House, save the high-pitched voice, in which the Irish brogue was appa- rent, of a speaker, who was listened to with breathless attention. At the back of the Gallery, sat a row of shrewd-looking, pale-faced young men, taking notes with great rapidity, who had been laughing and joking before. I was fortunately able to get a good view of the person of the speaker, between the chandeliers. He was a little man, in black ; pale, and with dark hair and eye-brows, from under which his eyes peered out like sparks of light from a cavern. He spoke vehe- mently, yet temperately, and with extraordinary fluency : his sentences were epigrammatic, neat, concise, and polished, and followed each other, with brief but regulated pauses between, like a succession of pointed arrows. His action was angular, yet not ungraceful, and ap- parently spontaneous. He leaned at times almost across the table, stretching forth his gloved hands, and pointing his finger to some one sitting opposite, bending his head forward, like a serpent about to dart upon his prey ; his words winding with a flow of sarcasm, smooth and cutting as the sweep of a scimitar. Anon he became yet more impas- sioned ; his voice rose to an almost painful pitch ; and waving his arm in the air, he scattered flowers of rhetoric like one of Jove's minions- flinging lightning around. He could hardly proceed, for the noise of members crying out in various tones, from the gibber of' a ghost to the croak of a bull-frog, "Hear-ear-ear-ear-ear P' till it rose into one great shout like the war-whoop of a tribe of Indians.
It was some time before a tall thin gentleman, also pale-faced--(the predominance of pale faces was 'remarkable, and made the rosy gills of the wigged persons more conspicuous, like the sun shining on a white frost)—who had got up on the eloquent little orator sitting down, could get a hearing. This speaker had light bushy hair, a heavy brow, aquiline nose, and seemed very impatient at being kept standing before he could be heard; and when be began to speak, it was evident he wig vexed. He spoke distinctly, in rather a high key, and with consider- able excitement of manner; looking frequently. round to those who sat behind and beside him, and taking evident pains to rouse them to at- tention. He was very confident in his tone, and seemed to be well satisfied with the force of his assertions : but I observed he used but little argument, and that was rather clever fencing than cogent reason- ing. He appeared to grow soon irritable at the absence of assent to his statements, though there were several " Hear-ears !" from behind him. At last, after slapping his hands till they must have been sore, and thumping a dirty red box till I thought the lid would give way, he was proceeding with increased energy, looking fiercely- at the little orator opposite him, and was evidently producing an effect upon all the members, when he was inOrrupted by a mild remark from his op- ponent. This seemed to exasperate him ; for, stopping with constrained feelings, he made a sneering reply, and proceeded with amazing and al- most furious vehemence of manner, till at length every sentence he uttered
was almost inaudible at its close by the boisterous shouts of " Hear-ear- ear !" which burst from all sides. I was too much absorbed with the novel sight, to be able to weigh accurately the comparative value of the ar- guments adduced ; but the little orator convinced me most ; though the tall one seemed trying to beat out that conviction, by sheer force of words. He got on much more easily when the shouting began ; though I did not think he spoke to the point, or indeed, that he then cared much what he said, so long as they shouted. At last he ended with some high-sounding words, which he, as it were, tossed out upon the air scornfully; and then the "Hear-ears !" grew into inarticulate halloos, amidst which be sat down, all those round him smiling and compli- menting.
When the noise of the cheering, and of persons moving ceased, I became aware of the presence of a tall, stout-built person, with a broad bronzed face, and a no-fashioned brown wig on, who stood upright at the table with folded arms, holding in one hand a paper. He commenced speaking in a slow, quiet, and easy manner, but with a rich and deep voice, flowing and melodious in its tones, and having a strong but by no means unpleasant brogue : indeed, it seemed to har- monize with his stalwart figure, his homely style, his earnest manner, and his honest-looking face. As he proceeded, his address seemed to win over some of his auditors ; and his arguments were so plainly, and strongly enforced, and the modulations of his voice were so seductive to the ear, that I thought he must of necessity bring all the members of the House over to his opinion. Presently his man- mer altered ; he commenced a strain of invective that seemed to awe all
who heard him; • and, as he grew warm, he was like one pleading a sacred cause, in which liis whole heart and soul were engaged. Nothing could be more impressive. At length, however, his voice rose, and, with passionate energy, he made an assertion which caused great excitement, and" No, no, no!" resounded from several quarters. He paused for a moment, and proceeded to support his assertion ; but his arguments were evidently not listened to: he therefore took up another point, which he enforced with great eloquence • and amidst loud cries of "Hear-ear-ear !" in which I could discern &shrill scream of the little dark orator, he sat down, much to my regret.
The discussion lasted long, and the speeches were numerous; but few of them good, or to the point. Each person seemed, when he began to preface, as though he had a great deal to say, and were going to make a capital speech; but though some clever remarks were made now and then, they were often rendered almost ineffective by being mixed up with a quantity of needless words. Two or three able men of busi- ness spoke directly to the question ; but the majority had almost as well been silent, and much better have been brief.
The House now presented a strange appearance for a deliberative assembly. In the body of the place, the members were very much crowded—inconveniently so ; and there was much talking and great confusion every now and then ; the bald-headed gentleman at the table cried, "Order, order!" several times. Members kept moving to and fro, just ducking their heads as they passed the table ; and they lounged in and out of the galleries ; now and then stooping over to look down below ; some yawning, some sleep- ing, and one or two laid at whole-length on the benches—the aspect and manner of all bearing the appearance either of great listlessness or impatience. The speakers began to be interrupted by cries of " Question" and " Divide ;" and it was difficult for even a tolerable speaker to get a fair hearing for a few minutes toge- ther. At last the loungers set up such a resolute cry of" Divide," that there was no hearing any one ; and the bald-headed 'gentleman called out, " Strangers must withdraw." I obeyed with difficulty, being so cramped by the inconvenient seat, that I could hardly stir ; and two or three of the attendants were very rudely impatient at my slow move- ment: but I was glad to get out into the fresh air, for the heat was dreadfully oppressive. Without waiting with the crowd to be read- mitted at another door, I threaded my way out, and walked homeward, musing on the strange sight of the House of Commons in action. It seems a bad -place to transact the' business of the, nation in ; and how it all gets attended to, is to me a mystery. A few seemed to have come to talk, and the others to look on. It was like a large debating- club; the members seemed any thing but deliberative. The Parlia- ment being reformed, their House should certainly be rebuilt.
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