THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF M.P.'s.

Otago Witness, Issue 919, 10 July 1869, Page 9

THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF M.P.'s.

In the discussion as to the want cf accommodation in the present House of Commons, it came out that members were frequently in the habit of securing a particular seat by laying a hat on it. Lord Bury said, " no one was more convinced than himself of the inadequacy of the present House ; no one had observed more closely the inconvenience resulting from that inadequacy. He had been down by three o'clock, and had seen that forest of hats which had been mentioned; and he had noticed an hon. gentleman have one hat upon a seat and another in his hand or upon his head, thus showing that there were hon. members who kopt a reserve of hats for the purpose of securing seats.— (Laughter.) He rather thought that the courtesy which had prevailed among members in the way of recognising claims to seats was somewhat diminished. Ten years ajo great deference was paid to members who had boon many years in the House ; a certain seat wbb kept for Mr Roebuck, and another was reserved for the right hon. gentleman now the President of the Board of Trade ; and, in fact, many desirable seats were allotted to members who from long service had a right to that consideration. Since ho had returned he had not soon tho same amount of consideration shown towards the members who might be uupposed to have acquired a claim to it ; but he had seen hon. gontleraeh who certainly ought to have been able to obtain comfortable seats struggling with others for the possession of much less than the 20 inches which was said to be tho regulation width of their seats. In tho array a soldier was allowed 21 inches to stand upon the ranks, and therefore 20 inohos was not a great allowanoo to mombors who had to ait for hours together, especially as many membora from their ninld and substance required v groat doal more, and one raomber at least, who usually sat on the front bouch below tho gangway, ought to havo two seats." Lord Eleho was of courao quite in hi* element in a debate of thU kind. He said—" Hon. mombors might bo congratulated by thoir friendaout of Soon on having obtained a »oat in that House, but in point of fact it not unfrequontiy happened that practically they oould not find a place wherein to ait. ThU arow from the ha iU whioh origiglnated during tho present Parliament, tad those habits weie, he maintained, in

[direct,., contravention qV the Standing lOrde'rs. His right hon.'fiiend the member for- Newcastle had pointed out that pne way by which, members went to work to secure a seat was to have two hats, one of which was sent down to the House by a servant early in the day. Now, he had often wished to secure the neat which he ordinarily occupied, but when an important discussion was anticipated, he found the bench covered with "hats. — (A laugh.) He contended that this was a direct contravention of the Standing Orders."