PRINCE BISMARCK IN PARLIAMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2008, 21 May 1885, Page 2

PRINCE BISMARCK IN PARLIAMENT.

A ZritiCH paper gives an amusing accoiat of Prince Bismarck's manner in Parliament. Every political gourmet musb enjoy hearing Prince Bismarck apeak. He it no elegant orator, ritler the contrary, but he can lead a debite like no on« elt«. Only a few days ago lie spoke seven turns* in one afternoon, each time with more eneigy and spirit, proving that his health is indeed restored. Several member* had aheady spoken and the Hous>e uai still empty, when suddenly members filed in from all tl.e doors, and the benches begaa to fill. A rumour had been circulated that Bbni.iick would appear, and shortly afterwards a narrow door near the I'iesident's chair o,ened, and the tall tiguie euteied. Suddenly soft bells are liejrd in all parts of the House. The electric bells in the reading loom, in the committee looms, the journalists' room, are sounded to announce the anival of the Chancellor, who has shown that lie will spe.ik piesently, for with one of his pencils, mote than a foot long, lie has noted down something on the loose quarto sheets before bun, with letters not less than an an inch deep, aud this is a safe sign that lie intends speaking. The Pi evident bows to bun, and Prince Bismarck uses to " take the word." He is errtainly more than six feet high ; over his powerful chest and broad shoulders r.sei a stiaugrly rounded, well-shaped »<-a I of enormous dimensions, aud with no hair upon it, so that it looks like a dome of polished ivory. Thic's white brows hang over his eyes like two icicles. These brows give his face a dark and frOM uing expression, aud the looK w hich glistens in his eyes is cold and somewhat cruel— at least in Parliament. His moustache is also thick and grey and conceals the mouth entirely. The whole face is covered with folds and wrinkles, broad rings surround his eyes, and even his temples are covered with small wrinkles. When he begins to speak the colour of his f<tcc changes fiom pale to red, and gradually assumes a liuht bronze shade, which gives his powerful skull the appearance of polished metal. It is a surprise to hear Bismarck speak for the first time. The soft, almost weak, voice is out of all proportion w ith his gigantic frame. It sometimes become so soft that we fear it will die out altogether, and when he has spoken for awhile it criowa hoarse. The Chancellor sometimes speaks \ cry fast, sometimes very slowly, but never in a loud tone. H« ims uo pathos whatever. Home of his most lemarkable words, which in print look as if they had been spoken with full force, as if they must have had the effect of a sudden thuudcibolt on the audience, are in reality emitted in an ordinary tone of well bred conversation. Personal attacks upon his enemies are spoken by Bi3inirck with lionical politeness, and in such an obliging tone as if they concealed the kindest sentiments. But if his anger cannot be heard it cau he seen ; his face gradually grows ted, aud the veins on his neck swell in an alarming manner. When angiy he usually grasps the collar ot his uniform, nud seems to catch for breath. His brows are lowered still more, so that his eyes are almost invisible. His voice grows a shade louder, and has a metallic ring in it. The sen* tenccs drop from his lips in rapid saccession. He throws back his head, and gives his face a hard, stony expression. But it is difficult to discern when his anger is real and when it is artificial. The Chancellor has been seen trembling with tage, and more like the elements let loose than like anything else. Once, when he thought that the word " Fie !" had been said by one of the Opposition party, he had ons of his attacks, which would have silenced the House had everyone been speaking at once. With trembling nostrils, with his teeth firmly set, with eye<j that emitted fire, and cleuched hands, he jumped from his place to the side wheie the word had sounded If ample apologies and ex* planations had not been offuid, who knows how this scene might have ended ? But except upon such rate occasions Bismaick the orator is ahvavs a well-bred nun. He does not bawl nor shout any part of his speeches, but while giving them their full share ot pointed sarcasms he always maintains the funn of a political conversation between gentlemen. He has a method of his own for waging war with his opponents. He wgards his opponents' speech as a ball of wool, the last sentence spoken being the end which he takes in hand first, and with which he begins to unwind the wl'ole speech is he would unwind the bill of wool. But it is easy to see that whilst his tongue is speaking his spirit h far in advance of it. He hesitates in his speech, then suddenly recalis himself and puts forth a number of clear thoughts, which it is easy to see occurred to him at the moment One of the great charms of Prince Bismarck* speeches is that he never follows any given form of method, but that all he says is inspired at the moment He commands humour and sarcasm to <i hiish degree, and often .it a time when they are least expected, so that even his bitteu-st enemies aie not rarely moved to laughter by his weeds.

A siMi'i-K disinfecting hmp may be easily made by binning bwilplude ol catbon in a lamp after tli. in.mner of an oil or spirit lamp. Think of your own faults the fiist part of the night — wheu you are awake — and the faults of others the latter part of the night — when you aie asleep. Ghostly Ni:ioiiuoitbs —One of th« most amusing, and, at the same titnt, absurd cases that ever came before a magistrate wjs heard at Dubliu on Feb. 21, when Mr Waldron, a solicitor's clerk, sued his next door neighbour, who is a mate in the merchant service, named Kurnan, to recover £000 damages for injures done to his house by defendant and his family. Kiornan denied th« charges, and asserted that Waldron'i house was haunted, and that the act* complained of were done by spirits of some person in plaintiff's place Evidence for the plaintiff was to the effect that every night from August, 1884, to January, 18S5, his hall door was continually being knocked at, and his windows broken by stones which came from th« direction of the defendant's yard. Mm Waldron swore that one night she aaw one of thu the panes of glass in the window cut through with a diamond ; a white hand was inserted through the hole so made in the glass. .She caught up a billhook and aimed a blow at th« hand, cutting one of the fingeis com* pletely off. The hand was then withdrawn, but, on examining the place, the could not find neither the finger nor any traces of blood. On another occasion the servant, hearing mysterious knockings, fell (low n with fright, upsetting a pail of water over herself. Mr Waldron armed himself with a rifle and revolver, and brought a detective in the house, while several policemen watched outside. They, however, could find nothing. Kiernan'a family, on being taxed with causing th« noises, denied such was the case, and suggested it was the work of ghosts ; and advised Waldron to send for a Roman Catholic clergyman to rid the house of iti uncanny occupants. A police constable swore that one evening he saw Waldron'i servant kick the door with her heelt about the time the rapping usually com* menced. Chief Justice Morris said the affair suggested thu performance ol the Davenport Brothers or Maskelyne and Cookc. It was quite inexplicable from the absence of motive, and remamtd shrouded in mysterious uncertainty. The jury found for the defendant. Tnfc Live oh as M.P —An M P. deploring tb« ctil effeils of London habits on the health, said that were it not for the American Cu's Hop Bitters he could not live through w itb the irregular hours he was toned to ke*>. Said he "As s jon as I _ feel weak and exhausted from lone night sessions and meals at irregular hours, I resort to my Hop Bitters instead of stimulants. They regulate my bowels and keep ray appetite good, my brain clear, and my strength and he«lti arc r>rcsen,td." ije«.