my discovery of england-第6节

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ince　and　shook　hands　and　told　him　that　he　simply　must　stay　over。　George　Rapley；　the　bank　manager；　said　that　if　he　wanted　a　cheque　cashed　or　anything　of　that　sort　to　come　right　into　the　Royal　Bank　and　he　would　do　it　for　him。　The　prince　had　two　aides…de…camp　with　him　and　a　secretary；　but　Bob　Curran　said　to　bring　them　uptown　too　and　it　would　be　all　right。　We　had　planned　to　have　an　oyster　supper　for　the　Prince　at　Jim　Smith's　hotel　and　then　take　him　either　to　the　Y。M。C。A。　Pool　Room　or　else　over　to　the　tea　social　in　the　basement　of　the　Presbyterian　Church。

Unluckily　the　prince　couldn't　stay。　It　turned　out　that　he　had　to　get　right　back　into　his　train　and　go　on　to　Peterborough；　Ontario；　where　they　were　to　have　a　brass　band　to　meet　him；　which　naturally　he　didn't　want　to　miss。

But　the　point　is　that　it　was　a　real　welcome。　And　you　could　see　that　the　prince　appreciated　it。　There　was　a　warmth　and　a　meaning　to　it　that　the　prince　understood　at　once。　It　was　a　pity　that　he　couldn't　have　stayed　over　and　had　time　to　see　the　carriage　factory　and　the　new　sewerage　plant。　We　all　told　the　prince　that　he　must　come　back　and　he　said　that　if　he　could　he　most　certainly　would。　When　the　prince's　train　pulled　out　of　the　station　and　we　all　went　back　uptown　together　（it　was　before　prohibition　came　to　Ontario）　you　could　feel　that　the　institution　of　royalty　was　quite　solid　in　Orillia　for　a　generation。

But　you　don't　get　that　sort　of　thing　in　England。

There's　a　formality　and　coldness　in　all　their　dealings　with　royalty　that　would　never　go　down　with　us。　They　like　to　have　the　King　come　and　open　Parliament　dressed　in　royal　robes；　and　with　a　clattering　troop　of　soldiers　riding　in　front　of　him。　As　for　taking　him　over　to　the　Y。M。C。A。　to　play　pin　pool；　they　never　think　of　it。　They　have　seen　so　much　of　the　mere　outside　of　his　kingship　that　they　don't　understand　the　heart　of　it　as　we　do　in　Canada。

But　let　us　turn　to　the　House　of　Commons：　for　no　description　of　England　would　be　complete　without　at　least　some　mention　of　this　interesting　body。　Indeed　for　the　ordinary　visitor　to　London　the　greatest　interest　of　all　attaches　to　the　spacious　and　magnificent　Parliament　Buildings。　The　House　of　Commons　is　commodiously　situated　beside　the　River　Thames。　The　principal　features　of　the　House　are　the　large　lunch　room　on　the　western　side　and　the　tea…room　on　the　terrace　on　the　eastern。　A　series　of　smaller　luncheon　rooms　extend　（apparently）　all　round　about　the　premises：　while　a　commodious　bar　offers　a　ready　access　to　the　members　at　all　hours　of　the　day。　While　any　members　are　in　the　bar　a　light　is　kept　burning　in　the　tall　Clock　Tower　at　one　corner　of　the　building；　but　when　the　bar　is　closed　the　light　is　turned　off　by　whichever　of　the　Scotch　members　leaves　last。　There　is　a　handsome　legislative　chamber　attached　to　the　premises　from　whichso　the　antiquarians　tell　usthe　House　of　Commons　took　its　name。　But　it　is　not　usual　now　for　the　members　to　sit　in　the　legislative　chamber　as　the　legislation　is　now　all　done　outside；　either　at　the　home　of　Mr。　Lloyd　George；　or　at　the　National　Liberal　Club；　or　at　one　or　other　of　the　newspaper　offices。　The　House；　however；　is　called　together　at　very　frequent　intervals　to　give　it　an　opportunity　of　hearing　the　latest　legislation　and　allowing　the　members　to　indulge　in　cheers；　sighs；　groans；　votes　and　other　expressions　of　vitality。　　After　having　cheered　as　much　as　is　good　for　it；　it　goes　back　again　to　the　lunch　rooms　and　goes　on　eating　till　needed　again。

It　is；　however；　an　entire　exaggeration　to　say　that　the　House　of　Commons　no　longer　has　a　real　share　in　the　government　of　England。　This　is　not　so。　Anybody　connected　with　the　government　values　the　House　of　Commons　in　a　high　degree。　One　of　the　leading　newspaper　proprietors　of　London　himself　told　me　that　he　has　always　felt　that　if　he　had　the　House　of　Commons　on　his　side　he　had　a　very　valuable　ally。　Many　of　the　labour　leaders　are　inclined　to　regard　the　House　of　Commons　as　of　great　utility；　while　the　leading　women's　organizations；　now　that　women　are　admitted　as　members；　may　be　said　to　regard　the　House　as　one　of　themselves。

Looking　around　to　find　just　where　the　natural　service　of　the　House　of　Commons　comes　in；　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　it　must　be　in　the　practice　of　〃asking　questions〃　in　the　House。　Whenever　anything　goes　wrong　a　member　rises　and　asks　a　question。　He　gets　up；　for　example；　with　a　little　paper　in　his　hand；　and　asks　the　government　if　ministers　are　aware　that　the　Khedive　of　Egypt　was　seen　yesterday　wearing　a　Turkish　Tarbosh。　Ministers　say　very　humbly　that　they　hadn't　known　it；　and　a　thrill　runs　through　the　whole　country。　The　members　can　apparently　ask　any　questions　they　like。　In　the　repeated　visits　which　I　made　to　the　gallery　of　the　House　of　Commons　I　was　unable　to　find　any　particular　sense　or　meaning　in　the　questions　asked；　though　no　doubt　they　had　an　intimate　bearing　on　English　politics　not　clear　to　an　outsider　like　myself。　I　heard　one　member　ask　the　government　whether　they　were　aware　that　herrings　were　being　imported　from　Hamburg　to　Harwich。　The　government　said　no。　Another　member　rose　and　asked　the　government　whether　they　considered　Shakespere　or　Moliere　the　greater　dramatic　artist。　The　government　answered　that　ministers　were　taking　this　under　their　earnest　consideration　and　that　a　report　would　be　submitted　to　Parliament。　Another　member　asked　the　government　if　they　knew　who　won　the　Queen's　Plate　this　season　at　Toronto。　They　did；in　fact　this　member　got　in　wrong；　as　this　is　the　very　thing　that　the　government　do　know。　Towards　the　close　of　the　evening　a　member　rose　and　asked　the　government　if　they　knew　what　time　it　was。　The　Speaker；　however；　ruled　this　question　out　of　order　on　the　ground　that　it　had　been　answered　before。

The　Parliament　Buildings　are　so　vast　that　it　is　not　possible　to　state　with　certainty　what　they　do；　or　do　not；　contain。　But　it　is　generally　said　that　somewhere　in　the　building　is　the　House　of　Lords。　When　they　meet　they　are　said　to　come　together　very　quietly　shortly　before　the　dinner　hour；　take　a　glass　of　dry　sherry　and　a　biscuit　（they　are　all　abstemious　men）；　reject　whatever　bills　may　be　before　them　at　the　moment；　take　another　dry　sherry　and　then　adjourn　for　two　years。

The　public　are　no　longer　allowed　unrestricted　access　to　the　Houses　of　Parliament；　its　approaches　are　now　strictly　guarded　by　policemen。　In　order　to　obtain　admission　it　is　necessary　either　to　（A）　communicate　in　writing　with　the　Speaker　of　the　House；　enclosing　certificates　of　naturalization　and　proof　of　identity；　or　（B）　give　the　policeman　five　shillings。　Method　B　is　the　one　usually　adopted。　On　great　nights；　however；　when　the　House　of　Commons　is　sitting　and　is　about　to　do　something　important；　such　as　ratifying　a　Home　Rule　Bill　or　cheering；　or　welcoming　a　new　lady　member；　it　is　not　possible　to　enter　by　merely　bribing　the　policeman　with　five　shillings；　it　takes　a　pound。　The　English　people　complain　bitterly　of　the　rich　Americans　who　have　in　this　way　corrupted　the　London　public。　Before　they　were　corrupted　they　would　do　anything　for　sixpence。

This　peculiar　vein　of　corruption　by　the　Americans　runs　like　a　thread；　I　may　say；　through　all　the　texture　of　English　life。　Among　those　who　have　been　principally　exposed　to　it　are　the　servants；especially　butlers　and　chauffeurs；　hotel　porters；　bell…boys；　railway　porters　and　guards；　all　taxi…drivers；　pew…openers；　curates；　bishops；　and　a　large　part　of　the　peerage。

The　terrible　ravages　that　have　been　made　by　the　Americans　on　English　morality　are　witnessed　on　every　hand。　Whole　classes　of　society　are　hopelessly　damaged。　I　have　it　in　the　evidence　of　the　English　themselves　and　there　seems　to　be　no　doubt　of　the　fact。　Till　the　Americans　came　to　England　the　people　were　an　honest；　law…abiding　race；　respecting　their　superiors　and　despising　those　below　them。　They　had　never　been　corrupted　by　money　and　their　employers　extended　to　them　in　this　regard　their　tenderest　solicitude。　　Then　the　Americans　came。　Servants　ceased　to　be　what　they　were；　butlers　were　hopelessly　damaged；　hotel　porters　became　a　wreck；　taxi…drivers　turned　out　thieves；　curates　could　no　longer　be　trusted　to　handle　money；　peers　sold　their　daughters　at　a　million　dollars　a　piece　or　three　for　two。　In　fact　the　whole　kingdom　began　to　deteriorate　till　it　got　where　it　is　now。　At　present　after　a　rich　American　has　stayed　in　any　English　country　house；　its　owners　find　that　they　can　do　nothing　with　the　butler；　a　wildness　has　come　over　the　man。　There　is　a　restlessness　in　his　demeanour　and　a　strange　wistful　look　in　his　eye　as　if　seeking　for　something。　In　many　cases；　so　I　understand；　after　an　American　has　stayed　in　a　country　house　the　butler　goes　insane。　He　is　found　in　his　pantry　counting　over　the　sixpence　given　to　him　by　a　Duke；　and　laughing　to　himself。　He　has　to　be　taken　in　charge　by　the　police。　With　him　generally　go　the　chauffeur；　whose　mind　has　broken　down　from　driving　a　rich　American　twenty　miles；　and　the　gardener；　who　is　found　tearing　up　raspberry　bushes　by　the　roots　to　see　if　there　is　any　money　under　them；　and　the　local　curate　whose　brain　has　collapsed　or　expanded；　I　forget　which；　when　a　rich　American　gave　him　fifty　dollars　for　his　soup　kitchen。

There　are；　it　is　true；　a　few　classes　that　have　escaped　this　contagion；　shepherds　living　in　the　hills；　drov