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Miscellany: House Of Commons

Miscellany: House Of Commons image
Parent Issue
Day
6
Month
June
Year
1842
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

I went down to the House, expecting to see a great fight n ihe contencling parlies on the Income Tut, which Lord John Rüsskll declared he would resistat every stage. But what an unbusiness like aspect did the House present! Alihoagh the attendance was more than usually numerous, not the smallest interest yaq apparcntJy taken in the matters in hnnd. Then th e rnembers sat lounging in an easy, famili.ii, toothpick iashion on the cushioned benchee; or, clustered togetherat the bar, chamn.j and laughing as if they were at their cluls, or in the saloons 01 a theatre. And the principie of the ministerial great financial measure was carried, to my utter astonishment. nam con, yet not sub süeniio. for there was plenty of noise and chattering. though not a word was said against it. This iidiculou8 result filltd the people with wonder, and the con du et of the liberal niembeis in allowing the most importa ni movcment ofihe mini8try to po off wiihout a blow. was severely and indignandy commented upon by the opposition journals and in public meetings of the larger constituencies. it was in vain eome of the VVhTgs urged that they did not hc-nr ihe question put. I wao at the end of the hall, near the door. and heard it distinctly; but honorable members were laughing and gossiping, and thnugh the chairman repeatedly cried out "Order, order!" "Bar! bar!" they heederi him not. I dweil on the case merely ns nn illustration to show thit our iloueee of Congrss are not the only lenislative hodies in the world in which a cuïpnblc negligence of the interests of the public, andan unmanlv trifling away of time are chaiacteristics of man'y representatives.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News