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. If the charge was vehement, his defence
was no less so. He justified himself against Lord Fielding by
maintaining that he had not opposed this election in the character
of a minister, but as an individual, or private person; and that, as
such, he had freely and honestly given his vote for another - namely,
for Sir Cecil Wray, adding that the King, when he appointed him
Secretary of State, had entered into no agreement with him by which
he lost his vote as an individual; to such a requisition he never
would have submitted.
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