JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 28 
Since the year 1877 the House of Commons has been 
opened each day with prayer read by the Speaker at three 
o’clock, before the doors are open to the public, in English or 
French, as may suit the Speaker. The Senate has always 
been opened with prayer, but they do not entrust that duty to 
their Speaker, having from the beginning had a paid chaplain, 
aud the roll is called and the attendance recorded. 
It is the duty of the Speaker to preside at all the sittings 
of the House, except when in Committee of the Whole ; to 
enforce its rules of order; to announce the business of the 
House in the order in which it shall be taken up; present 
messages and papers ; receive all proper motions and put them ; 
see that votes are properly taken and announce the result ; 
reprimand or admonish members, and under the order of the 
House commit persons to the custody of the sergeant-at-arms. 
He must even put a question when it affects him personally 
and decide questions of order subject to an appeal to the House; 
when there is a tie give the casting vote—that is of very rare 
occurrence. He has also general charge of the House and the 
staff of officers attached. Above all things to retain the 
respect of the House he must be fair and impartial in the dis- 
charge of the wide powers entrusted to him, and nothing con- 
tributes to the authority of the chair so much as the convic- 
tion among the members that in its occupant they have made a 
happy choice. 
Outside of his duties in the chair the Speaker’s position is 
useful in promoting friendly intercourse between the members 
on opposite sides, and official dinners and levees are recognized 
modes of promoting good feeling and intimacy among members. 
It was formerly said of Sir John A. Macdonald, when leader of 
the House, that for social purposes the doubtful members were 
marked conservative and frequently invited to dine with him. 
And I recall once in committee of supply, when the occupant of 
the chair had notoriously evaded his social duties, on an item 
for the Speaker’s apartments, Mr. Mackenzie solemnly rose 
and gravely enquired, ‘‘ Mr. Chairman, would it be possible to 
see the inside of those rooms ?’’ to the no small amusement of 
the committee who felt the application. 
5 
