Mother of Parliament.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 14, 6 April 1910, Page 7

Mother of Parliament.

HOW IT STRIKES A NEW ZEALAND .MEMBER. 1 )R. CHAPPLE’S I M PR ESS I (>NS. TRAGEDY OF MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON. February 25. The impressions of a New Zealander on taking his seat for the first time on the benches of the House of Commons will 4io doubt be of interest to his compatriots. I asked Dr. W. A. Chapple, M.P.. formerly a member of the New Zealand Legislature, to describe to me bis sensations at the opening of the new Parliament at Westminster this week. The New Zealander was elected to the “Mother of Parliaments" by a record majority for the county of Stirlingshire at the recent General Election. “You ask for impressions? It is hard to be definite.” said ho. “Sitting in the historic chamber of the House of Commons, tin* first impression on the sight gives one a sense of oppressiveness. The walls are too dose*, too heavy, too overhanging. One feels as if too close to a beautiful picture and unable to get. back a sufficient distance to get the right focus and point of view. “One's field of vision feels crowded — luit everything is crowded. The detail of the building is crowded. One’s thoughts are crowded. “One's body is crowded, too. All the seats are packed by those who manage .io hag a seat in the scramble or to insert their signed card in the little frame fixed to the back of a seat for the purpose. Those who have not l»een successful crowd up the standing room in

front of the table and stand throughout the ceremony of election of Mr. Speaker. MIXTI RE OF ACCENTS. “Another ‘first impression’ falls on tha ears—l mean the mixture of accents, north of Ireland, south of Ireland, north of Scotland, south uf Scotland, north of England, south of England. “Then with this mixture of accents there is a mixture of ap|»earanees. The typical Scottish face and physique, the unmistakable Irish countenance. now severely stern, now I‘ollickingly goodhumoured. I hen there is a ‘fired impression' on the nostrils. The sense of stuffiness is almost oppressive, notwithstanding the allegedly perfect sy-icin of perforated floor ventilation. It suggests the stories of the unhealthiness of the House of Commons’ atmosphere and the iiuuilht of members who get knocked up al the end of the session. “The dim religious light adds to the sense of awesomeiiess, ull( i suggest-, the presence of the spirits of the mighty dead that once in the tle.sh made British history witlun those walls. “Mr Asquith enters, ruddy faced, clean shaven, with abundant silver locks to whom the ibarber has been denied. ■ ‘Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah’ < >«ut inues apparently from the (ioveninirnt Bemdiert only, for a<bout a minute or mon*. This, being interpreted, means ‘"hear, hear,” repeated to about ten places of decimals. There is no clapping nor tramping, but this is decimal a fitting and an hearty welcome. “From the other side of the Speaker enters Mr Balfour, spotlessly and elegantly attired, slim, graceful, cultured, ascetic. The same wc-h-ome is accorded to him from the other side of the House, repeated to the «amc number of decimals. “Measured spi‘eches are m ule by Mr Burt, the oldest member of the House, from Hie Government si<le; Mr ( h iplin (who runs him close); Mr Lowther (the Speaker elect), and the Leaders of the House and the Opposition respectively, and the new Speaker is elected. A TRAGIC S<’E\E. “1 bad the interest in»g cxperiinee of seeing Mr Joseph Chamberlain sworn in. Lord Morpeth and Mr Austen •( hamberlain acted as his crutches while he shuffled up the floor of the House during a quiet- interval, when almost all the other members were gone. “lb* leant heavily on his -oipports. and was placed on tin* Premier’s seat while his son .signed tin- register on his behalf and then placed it upon his father’s knee. Mr Chamberlain could only touch the pen which made the cross agaiiitsl his name. “'l'he remarkable thing about him was that he looked so young. His face was full and 'bronzed, and it was almost impossible to believe that hi* had passed the allotteil span of threescore years and ten. “He had an almost apologetic look as he sat. ami tliits broke into an almost apologetic smile as he shook hands with the Speaker, and with tin* help of liis friends was led out to bis carriage. “It was a pathetic spectacle, and one reflected sadly upon this Samson shorn of his locks by the ha ml of disease. He would have been a mighty force at this crisis if the energy ami health he once possessed were with him now.’’