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THE NEW HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The first thing that strikes one about the new House of Commons (remarks a contributor to the SI. James' Budget) is that it is startlingly new m many respects. Roughly speaking, one-half of its members are quite new ; it is guided — for the present, at all evonts — by a nearly new Administration, and presided over by an almost new Speaker. Bvon the Sergeant-at-arms ig new; so are hia two lieutenants ; nnd part of tho fabric of the House, thanks to tho dynamiters, is new also. Judged from the very limited experience we have so far had of them, the very manners of the Honse aro new, and some of them are sufficiently novel to bo a little suprising. It is, for intstanee, a new way of expressing approval m the course of a debate for members to cl&p their hands violently, as though they wero m the pit of a theatre. The effect seems painful to old members used to a different method, for some of them shudder preceptibly and look scandalised. It is truo that the clapping of hands has never been wholly banished from Parliament. At least once m every session some misguided being m the strangers' gallery, m tho keen enjoyment of some pungent bit of rhetoric, has been betrayed into this form of exhibiting his satisfaction. But the consequences have invariably proved disastrous, and the offender, too late convinced of the enormity of his sin, lias always been promptly removed into the outer world. Until, however, the new Parliament commenced its labors, a clapping of hands was never heard from the floor of the House, and applause thero was strictly confined to tho monotonous and not particularly intelligible " hear, hear."

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THD18860330.2.28

Bibliographic details

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3587, 30 March 1886, Page 4

Word Count
289

THE NEW HOUSE OF COMMONS. Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3587, 30 March 1886, Page 4

THE NEW HOUSE OF COMMONS. Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3587, 30 March 1886, Page 4