LADIES' BATHES IN PARLIAMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 65

LADIES' BATHES IN PARLIAMENT.

A considerable number of people find their way inio the Houses of Parliament on the one day in each v eek set apart for them, and one of tike most common questions is as to the latticework in front of the Ladies' Gallery in the House of Common?. It is not very easy to say why the presence of ladies should be more disconcerting in the Common-, than in the Gilded Chamber, v, here it seems to incommode nobody. But it is undeniable that there is something in the atmosphere of the Palace of Westminster which has tended to feminine lawlessness — in the past, at least! And what has happened there once might occur agpin : so think the advocates of the "grille."

They can remember a case in the drys of I' u"t vhfii a oieat debate h,i/l drawn to (St. Stephen's an exceptioi/rlly l.ir^o •limb r ot la. die. 1 -, wbo then v\eie allowed to ovdJow gi.ll 'dries, oiid even the benches, mucih at their own sw eet will. A member — he wan a iiuval captain, and ought to hnve been more gallant — angry at not finding room for <-ome onlooking friends of his own, drew the Speaker's attention to the presence of "Rtrstngers."' This, as is well known, leads ofiicit'lly to the clearing of the galleries. But however easy it might be that day to issue tho order, it was difficult enough to carry it out.

The ladies had come for an evening's amusement, and comfortably established themselves ; they absolutely declin3d either to hear the order or to move. In vain the Sergeanl-at-Arms and his underlings implored and threatened. At first the ladies sat in silent and smiling disregard; but presently they broke into jeers and laughter, and such a scene ensued as would "have disgraced the galiery of an East End theatre." The despairing Sergeant betook himself to the Speaker, who could suggest nothing but suspension of the House until the ladies should bs g"s>i3.

The women looked rather foolish when they were left in possession, but they stayed on for hours, hoping to win the victory after all. They did not win ; and so rigorous was the rule that no petticoat should afterwards be allowed within the House that Mrs Sheridan was driven to don mals attire in order to hear her husband speak. The famous — or ought we to say notorious? — Duchess of Gordon, too, more than onco sat in the Strangers' Gallery dressed in the uniform and military cloak of her son-m-law , the Duke of Richmond.

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu descnbss in one of her letters a scene worse than this. This time the battlefield was the House of Lords. A crowded debate made it needful to excluda all but the peeis themselves — for the old Houses of Parliament were smaller by far than the present ones, and room was always scanty enough. However, a certain set of great dames determined to attend, and went down to Westmin&tei in force, boasting that neither men nor laws should oust them. These heroines were ths Duchess of Queensbery, the Duchess of Ancaster, Land Huntingdon, Lady Cobham, Lady Westmorland, Lady Archibald Hunter, Mrs Scott, Mis Pendarves, Lady Charlotte Edwin, and half-a-dczen more.

They pre&ented themselves at the door of the House at 9 o'clock in the morning. Sir William Sanderson, one of the officials, informed them that the Lord Chancellor hod issued a special older against their entrance. Lad" Sanderson, the poor man's own "w ife, was one of the group, and she laughingly bnde him etand aside, for they had quite determined to get in, and it was batter there should be no fuss.

This speech failing uselessly, the Duchess of Queuisbcry, in an off -hand way, bode him let them* up the backstairs privately, and none should tell how they had entered. Still he stood firm. Losing her temper, the Duchess — aighteeath-ceutury dames u"€d strong language — -^wore she and her friends would cntev in spite of the Chancallor and the whole House. Sii William, losing his, swore in his turn tbat enter they should not.

"This being reported" — we c{uote Lady ilaiy — "the paers resolved to .c'aive them out.' An ouler was made that ihe door should not be unclosed foi anyone whomsoever to pass while the ladies stood theie. Those Amazons now showed themselves qualified for the duties of foot soldiers. They stood there foi hours, even until 5 of the afternoon, without sustenance

every now and then playing volleys of thumps, kicks and raps against the door v. Ith such violence thac the business of the House could scarce proceed. Then the two duchesses', well apprised of the use of stratagems in war, commanded a dead silence" of half an hour. The Chancellor thought this a, certain proof of their absence (and the Commons bung also very im•patient to enter the galleiy), and he save crdeis for the opening of the door. Upon which they all ru-hqd in, placing themselves in the from, row of the gallery. Anli there they staved till midnight, when the House lose, aiid during the lest of the debate gave applause or disapprobation, mi only by smik-s pud wink? (which have always been allow cS). but by noisy laugl s andveiy evident contempt — which is supno^ed to be the tiue reason why my Lord Hervey on that occasion spoke so miserably." There are cltvi; laments over the bad manners and vulgarity oi a certain, set oi' smnrt people in sccirty to-day. Bu- surely things are better than in the re ; c,n of the ''Fir^t Gentleman in Europe." Grille oc no grille, we could surel}- triist the women of to-day to behave with a little more decoium than* her Grace oi Queeiubery and her Am i/^on?.