SPEAKER ASKED TO SING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 148, 13 June 1908, Page 4

SPEAKER ASKED TO SING.

ill!. BALFOUR'S STORY OK A SCENE IX THE COMMONS. -Mr. Balfour made a bjillianlly .ninenig speech at the annual dinner ol the House of Commons Press Haiierv in London riv.-nllv. "Like oilie,- politicians," |„. ~..i,|, •• i have tin.se who criticise m,- uev.s ami those, who applaud them, those who understand them and those who explain tlicni. 1 have no cjuarrcl with any ot these various classes of commentators, except perhaps the last. "1 am always happy when 1 am being liaised; I am not yen- uncomfortable when I am abused: though 1 may have •noiuents of uneasiness when I am bein , explained. " "One of my misfortunes in life is to be a consistent thinker.

Without remembering mv previous I am iK-vi-i- dismayed or ~,,,_ barrasscl when tl„.y arc referred to." Kelorring. to tlii? presence „f Sir Vlfred.lacoby. .M.l'., chairman of ll„. foiii"ions Kitchen Committee. .\| r , j; a ], olil-■i-ml tiial gentleman watched over the material iuieiesu uf members, ami no doubt under his guidance the well-lieiie' 01 ail connected with the work in the House of Commons was admirably look I'd after.

" U was apparently rather well looked after even in ih<, carlv days,'' He continued, "if not alwnvs with'the excellent results which now accrue. I remember a story of a distinguished gentleman who reported in the Prcs, gallery just about a hundred rears ami. He had not Ihe advantages' now possessed, bin he had dined'well at Jielhimy's. He had ai excellent dinner, washed down with excellent wine. "He was holed with the debate. No doubt many of those present have been bored with debates, ||c was wearied I'itli the siiperliuily of rhetoric which, lor all the pessimistic critics said, prevailed just as much a hundred years ago as to-day. He got bored, aiid lie sl-jod up and asked the Speaker for a song.

"1 believe the story is perfectly line, and it derived a great deal of humour when one rellccts that the Speaker of that day was Mr. Athlinglon, a gentleman who was nothing if not proper. 'U:e whole House, except the Speaker, was convulsed with laughter. "The Serjeant-at-Arms was appealed to lie went to the gallery and inip ifed for the culprit. The culprit reliined the presence of mind to point to a respectable (Junker sitting below him, and this gentleman was actually taken into custody.''