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Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 61, 20 October 1864, Page 3

' THE SPEAKEE OF THE HOTTSE OF COMMONS.— -The House of Commons is tired of the Ministry, but everything is in such a muddle that no party would be likely to . take its . place. The excitement of a general election and a new House of Commons, a New Government, and a new Speaker, would be a relief. ''The' right honl gentleman who fills this high position was chosen on account of his amiability/his great Parliamentary experience, and his supposed intimate acquaintance with the forms of the House. It may be 'safely " affirmed that he is not suited to tlie post. . Tfia want cf decision is as undignified as it is painful to the House ; and it is all- the more apparent after that promptitude and which pre-eminently distinguished his immediate, predecessor over all other men who ever, filled the_ chair. ... Ijord Everaley, who presided over the Commons as .Mr. Shaw ■Lefevre, pronounced his decisions in a tone that commanded' respect or implicit obedience. No member of the House thoughj; of contesting the .point with him, or of appealing to the assembly against the ruling of its "president. No 'stranger could sit in the gallery during his" time of office without feeling a sort pf wfe at the exalted position of : one' who was ttieHinchallengecl arbiter of five or six hundred of the people'srepresentatives ; and the members of themselves felt that such a Speaker added dignity to • the ~ first assembly" in the world j but the chair is now filled' by a gentleman who is neyer sure,, but always thinks and believes —who allows his -"decisions to be questioned, and who rarely sees a breach' of '■ order but when his attention is directed to it.. In proposing that Mr. Denisbn should be re-elected, when J the Parliament znet'fbr the first iime,: Sir; Francis Baring admitted thai he, in- common "with the- other members of the'-Hduse,~'hadsfelt 6ome disappointment at the.righthpn; gentleman's want of decision after what" they had been used to in Lord Eversley, but expressed^ a_;hop^that_:furflier . acquaintance with the duties would improve the,present Speaker. That hope can scarcely have •'beenrealised. Even so lately as last mght, the Speaker declared that there were only thirty-eight members present after he had counted 'the House.- ■ * Some; hon. member — supposed to be Nineveh Layard — cried out,' " There are forty." ' In -each' a case the lato Speaker would not have taken the slighest notice of the interruption, : but would hare announced " This house stands adjourned." Mr. Denison said "I shall count again~; '.'/and two members baring entered on the Opposition side after he had before counted, the required forty weie found to be present when the numbers -werQ,; tola -a second!! time. Public business gained by this ; but the dignity of the House was decidedly -a loser. Personally, everyone likes Mr. Denison, who, is a* clover and accomplished gentleman ; but ine^bmce of the Speaker » not M» vocation. — Po?x«»pond*at VsHh*