This Of
Course Was A Temporary And Necessary Evil; But Even This Was Hung
Around With The Vilest Of Portraits.
From the hall, turning to the left, if the entrance be made at the
front door, one goes to the new Chamber of Representatives, passing
through that which was the old chamber.
This is now dedicated to
the exposition of various new figures by Crawford, and to the sale
of tarts and gingerbread - of very bad tarts and gingerbread. Let
that old woman look to it, or let the house dismiss her. In fact,
this chamber is now but a vestibule to a passage - a second hall, as
it were, and thus thrown away. Changes probably will be made which
will bring it into some use or some scheme of ornamentation. From
this a passage runs to the Representative Chamber, passing between
those tell-tale windows, which, looking to the right and left,
proclaim the tenuity of the building. The windows on one side - that
looking to the east or front - should, I think, be closed. The
appearance, both from the inside and from the outside, would be thus
improved.
The Representative Chamber itself - which of course answers to our
House of Commons - is a handsome, commodious room, admirably fitted
for the purposes required. It strikes one as rather low; but I
doubt, if it were higher, whether it would be better adapted for
hearing. Even at present it is not perfect in this respect as
regards the listeners in the gallery. It is a handsome, long
chamber, lighted by skylights from the roof, and is amply large
enough for the number to be accommodated. The Speaker sits opposite
to the chief entrance, his desk being fixed against the opposite
wall. He is thus brought nearer to the body of the men before him
than is the case with our Speaker. He sits at a marble table, and
the clerks below him are also accommodated with marble. Every
representative has his own arm-chair, and his own desk before it.
This may be done for a house consisting of about two hundred and
forty members, but could hardly be contrived with us. These desks
are arranged in a semicircular form, or in a broad horseshoe, and
every member as he sits faces the Speaker. A score or so of little
boys are always running about the floor ministering to the members'
wishes - carrying up petitions to the chair, bringing water to long-
winded legislators, delivering and carrying out letters, and running
with general messages. They do not seem to interrupt the course of
business, and yet they are the liveliest little boys I ever saw.
When a member claps his hands, indicating a desire for attendance,
three or four will jockey for the honor. On the whole, I thought
the little boys had a good time of it.
But not so the Speaker. It seemed to me that the amount of work
falling upon the Speaker's shoulders was cruelly heavy.
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