THE HOUSE OF LOUDS. 



part of the house. Should he grow sudden impulse, he would dart 



warm as he advances, and elevate 

 his voice beyond a moderate pitch, 

 little else is heard at the distance 

 of the gallery but a succession of 

 inarticulate sounds. This is a se- 

 rious evil in their lordships' hall of 

 legislation. The new House of 

 Commons suffers from the same de- 

 fect. There is no apparent method 

 of overcoming the resonance caused 

 by the reflection of the sound from 

 so many unequal surfaces, but that 

 of covering the gorgeously carved 

 and decorated walls with tapestry. 

 At the upper end of the house, 

 in front of, and at a respectful dis- 

 tance from, the throne, is placed 

 the woolsack, the seat of the Lord- 

 Chancellor, a small plain bench, 

 covered with red. The Ministerial 

 and Bishops' benches are on the 

 right, sloping upwards from the 

 floor ; and on the other side are the 

 opposition benches, arranged in a 

 corresponding manner. The space 

 between is occupied by the cross 

 benches and the table. We had 

 not been many minutes in the 

 gallery till we recognized, by sun- 

 dry unmistakeable indications, one 

 of the two public men we were most 

 anxious to see in London. On the 

 front opposition benches was seat- 

 ed a peer rather above the middle 

 height, of swart complexion, gray 

 hair, bald crown, and a ncz(to imi- 

 tate the minuteness of the pass- 

 ports), which it at once occurred to 

 us we had seen portrayed in face- 

 tious cartoons, sculptured l>y nature 

 on the craggy peaks of Goatfell, and 

 which had a few days before been 

 delineated with a graphic power 

 most wonderful to behold, even on 

 the leaves of the caricature plant 

 in the conservatories of Kew. This 

 noble lord, dressed in a rather loose 

 and unstudied style, in a long fr< >rk 

 coat and yellow vest, had a notable 

 habit of hitching from side to side 

 on his seat, and rubbing his bald 

 crown with his hand. Seized by a 



across the house, and seating him- 

 self on the front treasury bench, 

 would enter earnestly into conver- 

 sation with one of the ministers ; 

 then abruptly glide away to a 

 cross bench, where, after more 

 restless motion and rubbing of 

 the crown, the noble and learned 

 lord would return to his original 

 seat. Presently some question 

 before the house would call him to 

 his feet. He spoke on every topic, 

 and to the purpose. His sentences 

 were long and involved, but .per- 

 spicuous ; he piled epithets Pelion 

 upon Ossa with marvellous apti- 

 tude and volubility ; his voice was 

 clear and sonorous, his accent Scot- 

 tish ; odd historical allusions and 

 piquant personal reminiscences lent 

 an air of vivacity to a common- 

 place discussion. Their lordships 

 listened they were compelled to 

 listen, and were diverted, if not 

 instructed. On finishing his speech 

 he would step across to the minis- 

 ter, or other peer whose position ho 

 had been combating, and resume 

 the argument with obvious eager- 

 ness aside. A new face or a new 

 fancy would next attract him to 

 some other quarter ; for with all 

 the members of the house, and with 

 all parts of the chamber, the noble 

 and learned lord was on the same 



nd familiar footing. 

 When the learned lord addressed 

 the house, he had no more attentive 

 listener than a venerable peer 

 usually seated on a cross benoo at 

 the lower part of the chamber, 

 slightly stooping under tho weight 

 of years, and who, on such occa- 

 sions might bo ob-ervril raisin;.; hid 

 head, with his hand In-hind his car, 

 to catch what the learned lord was 

 saying. To this illustrious indivi- 

 dual, it was remarked by the frr- 

 i|ii< 'liters nt'tlic ImiiM', Lord l!mti;,'h- 

 aufs pleasantries and vivarily of 

 manner always a Horded obvious 

 "ratification. The Duke of Wei- 



