NEW AND OLD HATS IN THE HOUSE.

Manawatu Times, Volume 29, Issue 103, 29 December 1880, Page 3

NEW AND OLD HATS IN THE HOUSE.

Th#» has jio£ m oju* tfmt, been: any leBjlation itajlA^* JjreagrH* deal;^ do.withjjlegislatibn;

Commoris. There been such a grtat demand for seats on the right of the Speaker that scores of hats hare bteri doing duty for members iq a somewhat extraordinary way. <Jkfemb»rs, especially those now basking m the political sunshine of tke House of Commons for the first tint, and eager- to figure m all the divisions lists, bo thai their constituents might see that they were afc their .post, have found it Accessary to go dowri to ; -this House as .'•arly as 11 o'cJook m ,th# morning', and place an old hat on a seat, m order to' ucuf*' said seat for -the avenirig sitting. There has heen such an array of these old hats thatrwp art informed the cupboard where they h^rebaen e(epoa"jsa priistnts the appearance of a hatttr's e ; iop, rather neglected, for all the work of the iron had of course departed^ from hats reduced ;tQ the level of -sirring only as'dijinmies. o ' . -.-' '. •■ ■'*■ ' ■■■'■■ '•' if ; '■'" i - Wheri the House tits the hats tit too. Tq be serious the member* keep their hats on 'during' the sittings j but when they git up, if only to speak to a ntighbor two or tbree yards away, the mtmbtr rfitiovts his hat ; and also whfn ;h§ entera or leaves the Hqust. This is th« universal «tiqpette of the House, and woe to the member who forgets it. He does not get bonnetted, but he is quickly reminded of it bj. some membar near him/ ; ; Th» vreaning of tall hats is m a unwritten law of tht House. No wtmb'tr jrould think of legislating m a fait hat. Jo. far as the Hous# of Commons is'concarnai, Parliamentary business cannot be conducted with fait hats- in any part of its selesfc precinqts, and riicmbars would as soon think of at«;endi*g m thair" nightshirts as they would of going to St. Staphan's m a. felt, hat, axflapt-it be • such an Irish member as ' Mr. O'Donpell, who must,>.ahaT«iincl act difi>rently to ■ anyone else, otherwise thi» 139 electors who return that, creditable . repre.-! sehtativa weuld hava no means, of knowing whether their memoer atfcanded the sittings or not. Members may wear silks, dml>, fawn or beaver p.ullpvars, high shapes,. and. there the selection ends. The older m.embar« are. not so particular and m fact some of those who 'have sat m the House the longest wear shacking bad hata. W*r« the Premier judged hy Irs ha^tha^air^io^wo.uld^^agajnflt^^ itmTarfably forms a supplementary, dole for his papers, and is moved about to various; places m such a, way that ag-ssame? body threa times the , thickness of . w*;.» i "'; really is wovyid, riitt withstan.d ,su.cTi ro»gh treatment', ',' ..... ,..-" ; „; . ? ..• ~ 'Tli» oldor m'tmbers, again, hare a naora easy way of Rearing .their hits, for thty either aither push tham back oa their heads ' or pull them just on thair eyebrows, a,nd wa have seen *fc late., sittipga ■ hafca. l»ain j made -inte a species of a pillow m such, a w.ay as to ba a good thing for th» hat. Tie Lute" Prime. Mi»ister, hafora ha wa* moved under the shads of the Lord. Chancellor used to ■ sit invariably with his arms folded, his lags stretched, out, 'and his hat almost over his eyes, apparautly fast asleep, hut no more so 'scarcely tiian the Speaker. .Often m the . position] have wa, teari him'/ A- libarai member onoe, lihan, Mr. JMsraali was leader of the . Opposition, fjiifl, '"' Tkart the hon. gentlman sits, taking no notrca of what is > going on, and. to ajl appearancts fast aslaap. " Mr. Disraeili looked instantly, a«d >&id> " I wish I was. " Tha effect of- which for tha momant was to disconcert the. m«m)i«.r wjio h^d ventured to turn a little invective on, to, him,. '