Parliamentary Manners. 87 



who sit next one another, have the weakness to be 

 exceedingly nervous and shy. Immediately after 

 the afternoon opening, at 2 p.m., Mr. Benkes dis- 

 covered that some joker had put ;t dead lizard 

 among his papers. Jumping up he threw the 

 lizard to Mr. De Beer, who loudly exclaimed, 

 " Ml'. Chairman, there is a coiiolomander here,"' 

 and ran away. The Chairman : " What is it ? "" 

 Mr. De Beer: "A lizard, Mr. Chairman." The 

 Chairman : ''It won't bite you, it is dead." Mr. 

 De Beer, throwing the reptile at Mi*. Benkes, 

 " Take that." The Chairman : " Order, now ! let 

 us proceed with the ^^'ork. Come here, messengei', 

 and take that lizard away." Mr. De Beer then 

 resumed his seat, crying to Mr. Benkes, " You 

 A\-ere more afraid than I was."' The President, 

 with difficulty sometimes, controls and gets his 

 way with these asseml)lies. In old days he was 

 accustomed to awe them by threats of his resigna- 

 tion in case they did not agree with him. This 

 method having become weak by over-use, he has 

 hit upon a new device, and quite recently he told 

 the meml:)ers ^\dio Avere disputing with him that if 

 they did not yield he would reduce their salaries. 

 They were terrified into immediate submission. 

 It mav be mentioned that the members of either 

 House receive a salar\' of 31. per diem while the 

 Houses are in Session. The President receives a 

 salary of 8000/. a year. He lives very quietly, 

 never entertains, indeed, he never gives bite or 

 sup to a soul. He is reported to have amassed a 

 large fortune. One of the curiosities of the Boer 



