POLITICAL COURTESY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 31 July 1926, Page 11

POLITICAL COURTESY

THE MOTHER OF PARLIAMENTS SCENES IN HOUSE OF COMMONS.

SPHERE lias been some discussion in British parliamentary circles recently as to whether manners in the House of Commons have deteriorated or improved with the coming in of members of what is called a lower social rank as the franchise lias been gradually broadened. Naturally, _ opinions differ on this, as on all questions; but it is significant that the'older and more experienced a member is the more he is disposed to think that the general decorum and orderliness of the House is as high as ever. Mr Gladstone, a witness of unrivalled authority on the point, declared, towards the end of his long career, that the classes of members introduced as a result of the successive widenings of the popular basis of the House bore no disadvantageous comparison,' in respect of submission to the chair and observance of the order and courtesies of debate, with the I class who, up to the Reform Act of 18:18, had almost a monopoly of the representation. This view is fully borne out by a study of Parliamentary annals. Before 1882 there were “scenes” of a kind it is impossible to imagine to-day. One night a young country member, of wealth and social standing, Sir George Rose, coming into the House with other young bucks after dinner at their club, called upon the Speaker for a comic song. As soon as the scandalised Speaker, could collect his scattered senses, he ordered the Sergeaht-at-Arms to take the honourable gentleman i into custody. Even at the Bar, where he stood with the Sergeant-at-Arnis carrying the Mace, Rose was still in a hilarious mood. When asked to apologise he burst out in loud and scornful laughter, exclaiming, “Beg pardon, is it? 1 vow I’ll beg no man’s pardon; not even King George’s, and certainly not that little chap up there with the big wig.” Rose was thereupon committed to ‘ ‘ the lock-up of the House of Commons,” but at the Bar next day, sober and penitent, he begged the Speaker’s pardon, and, having been solemnly reprimanded, was discharged on payment of the Sergeant-at-Arms’s foes. Pnlmerston. writing to his sister, Fanny, on February 27, ISIO, says.— “We had last night a most extra-

, ordinary display of folly, crassness, ar vulgarity from Fuller, who, because »S John Anstruther, Chairman of Conuni tees, would not take notice of _hi when he rose to speak several tim( flew into such a passion, and swo and abused the Chairman to such a d greo that it became necessary for t Speaker (who was -sent for), to coi mit him to custody. As he went out 1 shook his fist at the Speaker, and sa he was a d insolent little fello snapped his fingers at him, and roari -he did nor care that for him of for tl HoTlsc either. He is now amusing hii self with the Sergeuhr-at-Arms, and think he was very lucky in not beii sent to Newgate or the Tower.” Such things do not happen in tl House of Commons now. Such,thin] as do happen are.not due to individu members, intemperate,- passionate, ii patient of control, or desirous of tl notoriety. The individual has become submerge in the party. Scenes in the House ( Commons to-day are usually due to tl deliberate and common action of party, or a section of it, who have- d cided that their purpose would best 1 served by a demonstration in .fore Even in this respect the present cor pares favourably with the past., visitor to the House'in the nineteent century, during a party storm, migl vorj well doubt whether he had nc I strayed instead into a menagerie c '4OO. Here is a description of the noise evoked by Auberon Herbert’s eelebra ed republic speech on the civil list i March, .1872: From the less prominent parts of th of the House to which the Conservativ members had retired an incessant clan our arose. Cock-crowing in every var ety, from the hoarse cry of the cochi to the shrill note of the bantam an other farmyard sounds, together wit the repeated imitations of the rise an fall of Mr Herbert’s voice prevented single sentence of the speech fro: reaching the ears of those who wer assumed to be the auditors.” Members of the House of Common are not so absurd now. Scenes ar more dignified. They are modified no only by self-restraint, but by good hr mour also.