ROMANCE OF THE MACE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 144, 20 June 1931, Page 10

ROMANCE OF THE MACE

CROMWELL’S “BAUBLE.” SAID TO BE PRESENT SYMBOL. A controversy as to the ago of tho mace of the House of Commons has been revived by the librarian of tho City of Westminster, lie states definitely that tho mace carried before the Speaker to-day is the actual Cromwellian ‘ ‘ bauble. ’ ’ In this contention tho librarian Is supported by the Encyclopaedia Britannica, but opposed by a number ot other authorities. Chambers’ Encyclopaedia states that the historic mace is believed to bo in a Jamaican museum, while “Parliament Past and Present,” by Arnold Wright and Phillip Smith, asserts that the present mace is not the “bauble” but a later one of the time of Charles 11. Writing in “The Insignia and Plate of tho City of Westminster,” published by Cambridge University Press, the librarian states that the facts are as follow: “In 1649 the Commons, having abolished tho monarchy, ordered the destruction of all emblems of Royalty and caused a new mace to be made for their House. What became of the old mace no one knows. Tho new mace continued in uso until .1653, when Cromwell, unceremoniously dissolving the Long Parliament, ‘bid one of his soldiers to take away that fool’s bauble.’ “The bauble, however, was safely kept and produced again a few weeks later for the ‘Barebone’s’ Parliament. Il was almost certainly used for subsequent Parliaments until the Restoration, when the Commonwealth devices wore hammered out and the Royal badges restored. “There can be. no reasonable doubt,” tho librarian adds, “ that this identical mace is still borne before the Speaker of the House of Commons. ”