It Often Happens That The Jett, Or Principal Point In The Debate Is
Lost In These Personal Contests And Bickerings
Between each other.
When they last so long as to become quite tedious and tiresome, and
likely to do harm
Rather than good, the House takes upon itself to
express its disapprobation; and then there arises a general cry of,
"The question! the question!" This must sometimes be frequently
repeated, as the contending members are both anxious to have the
last word. At length, however, the question is put, and the votes
taken, when the Speaker says, "Those who are for the question are to
say AYE, and those who are against it NO." You then hear a confused
cry of "AYE" and "NO" but at length the Speaker says, "I think there
are more AYES than NOES, or more NOES than AYES. The AYES have it;
or the NOES have it," as the case may be. But all the spectators
must then retire from the gallery; for then, and not till then, the
voting really commences. And now the members call aloud to the
gallery, "Withdraw! withdraw!" On this the strangers withdraw, and
are shut up in a small room at the foot of the stairs till the
voting is over, when they are again permitted to take their places
in the gallery. Here I could not help wondering at the impatience
even of polished Englishmen. It is astonishing with what violence,
and even rudeness, they push and jostle one another as soon as the
room door is again opened, eager to gain the first and best seats in
the gallery. In this manner we (the strangers) have sometimes been
sent away two or three times in the course of one day, or rather
evening, afterwards again permitted to return. Among these
spectators are people of all ranks, and even, not unfrequently,
ladies. Two shorthand writers have sat sometimes not far distant
from me, who (though it is rather by stealth) endeavour to take down
the words of the speaker; and thus all that is very remarkable in
what is said in parliament may generally be read in print the next
day. The shorthand writers, whom I noticed, are supposed to be
employed and paid by the editors of the different newspapers. There
are, it seems, some few persons who are constant attendants on the
parliament; and so they pay the door-keeper beforehand a guinea for
a whole session. I have now and then seen some of the members bring
their sons, whilst quite little boys, and carry them to their seats
along with themselves.
A proposal was once made to erect a gallery in the House of Peers
also for the accommodation of spectators. But this never was
carried into effect. There appears to be much more politeness and
more courteous behaviour in the members of the upper House. But he
who wishes to observe mankind, and to contemplate the leading traits
of the different characters most strongly marked, will do well to
attend frequently the lower, rather than the other, House.
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