HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1894-05-18, Page 3"'tIIR PUBLIC
• MEETINGS.
rot
•
DR. BOURINOT, C.M,G.,. TELLS HOW
THEY SHOULD SE CONDUCTED..
)eligtood Our Txargploin Canada—Growth
or fepresentative Institutloes—'FRrious
Interesthrg and Instructive Points of
Parliamentary Procedure Lxplained.
"The conduct of Public Meetings"
was the title of a recent lecture by Dr,
J. G. Bourinot, C,M.G., a subject of no
little interest in a country like • this,
where every man is called upon at some
time or other to act in a public capacity,
and is consequently bound to be con-
versant more or less with the Sunda-
mental principles and rules that should
govern public assemblies of all kinds.
He eomrnenced by saying that this
period of the worlds history is noted for
one characteristic above all others—its
inordinate love of talk. It was once
tersely said that "the wise. part of Par-
liament were those who use the greatest
silence." but those were words of over
three centuries ago. This is the millen-
nium of lawyers, politicians and talkers.
One could wish in these days for a re-
vival of the Pythagorean system. and
the establishment of a party of silence.
But, as it is, a country like the Domin-
ion, with its frequent public meetings,
its free government, its admirable
municipal system, its many Legislative
Assemblies, its ecclesiastical synods,
scientific and literary` gatherings, must
be swayed more or less by talk, or, in
other words, debate, •
The ancestors of the English race who
emerged from the forests and Marsh-
lands of Germany and Denmark had al-
ways the right of discussing/in pubilc
assemblies the questions of She day. In
these days, however, insteda of a clash-
ing of spears, as in tire old Teutonic
meetings of which • iieitus wrote, we
have a constant king of tongues.
These, old publi,.fneetings were directed
by dukes or,jieretogas, who were called
ealdormeri"`from whom havecome down
to these prosaic times the well-known
and often abused designation of alder-
man.
lderman. In the filtration of centuries the
name has undergone a considerable
modification, but nevertheless he was
quite sure the modern inheritors of the
name can certainly make us more com-
fortable than could, the ealdorinen
of other days, when there were water
works, sidewalks, street paving, or
suburban improvements to represent an
overweening civic ambition, and those.
necessities of our civic life which help.
to make municipal taxation so light and
bearable.
Common Law of Parliament.
Dr. Bourinot then went on to say that
all meetings, from the simple primary,
ward. village, town and city assembly,
to the complicated session of'Parliament,
are more or less aoverned by the lead-
ing principles of the eotnrnon law of
Parliament—that system of rules and
conventions which has been adapted
from the elaborate system of the Eng-
lish prototype (stall Legislative Assem-
blies, and established by usage and
prescription in this country to meet ex-
isting conditions. As a matter of fact,
'the differences of bey and procedure are
relatively fent—the method of putting
motions and amendments thereto being
one of those differences; but where they
do exist they should necessarily govern
all assemblies in Canada that have a
permanent code of rules or by-laws of
order and debate for their guidance.
The lecturer then gave an interesting
historical sketch of the first meetings of
Canadian Parliaments at Quebec and
Newark a century ago, when was laid
the basis of the rules of order and pro-
cedure that govern all publicasseinblies
in the Dominion. The first Parliament
of Lower Canada met in the chapel of
an old stone building at Quebec, gen-
erally known as the Intendant's palace,
and overlooking a noble prospect of
mountain, river and plain. The little
Parliament of Upper Canada assembled
in a small frame building. a short dis-
tance from the humble village of New-
ark (Niagara). below which rnshed the
dark river, seeking rest in the bosom of
the great lake not far beyond. Front
that -day to this the same principle has
guided' the Legislative Assemblies of
Canada, to coufornh as nearly as prac-
ticable to the parliamentary regulations
of the parent- state. Now, when an
rytk Englishman, familiar with the Imperial
fd Commons, looks down for the first time
on the Canadian Houses. he will at once
recognize the fact' that he is in the
presence of an assembly where the most
essential British forms and usages are
still observed,
' Public Bodies in Canada•.
Dr. Bourinot then left the historic
phase of his subject, and proceeded to
state briefly the leading principles and
• rules that should govern public bodies
ifs Canada. Every assembly has neces-
sarily its special rules adapted to, its
peculiar organization, but each and all
should be, and are in fact, governed by
those old rules of Parliament which
regulate debate, the Malting au(1 putting
questions, the introduction and passing
sof bilis the procedure of Committees of
the Whole and of select committees;
and, in short, such other pi'oceeditigs as
are well calculated to ensure calm
deliberation, full discussion and Sound
legislation,
"Firmne
ss, cou
rtesy, tact,
impartiality, and willingness to• give
every
one an opportunity to express
himself on the -subject under considera-
tion, are the essential qualities of a
chairman. He should 000upy an entire-
ly independent position, and should take
no active part in debate in ordinary
public meetings; and the limitation of
the chairman to a single vote, given
only when an equality of vote occurs,
is the most expedient course. Inboard,
business and society meetings, however,
it is necessary he should be entrusted
with the general conduct of affairs, and
the explanation of measures and Ties -
tions affecting the holy, but In the case
of large assemblies, called for public
llanrnoses, this arrangement is wholly
snappliat>;b s 'ae the' antal;oniatia 'ue- •
ttponsibiiitioa that attaoh to the leader
of the debate cannot, even under the
most favorable ciroumstances, be united
without risk, • -
The Previous Question,
With respect to the .t previous ques-
tion," that rarely intelligible motion,.
Dr. Bourinot explained that the. misap-
prehension that so. often .arises as to its
proper use and necessary consequence
teas arisen from confusing the rules of
Legislative Assemblies of the United
States with the common parliamentary
law of Canada, alone applicable in this
•oltntry, The motion in the United
;tater is not debatable and must be
-rat" at ohne; in other words, it means
.5 clo'aure. In Canada it shute off
•,r ntltnent, lint not debate, On the
itravy, , 1ho t'eb.ate goes on as before
under our general Parliamentary law,
and it is only when the meeting pro-
ceeds to give a final decision that the
effects of the previous question is at
once felt. If the meeting decide by a
majority vote that "tile question be now
put," then a vote must be imnnediately
taken on the original question; or, if the
meeting negative the motion that "the
question Ue now put," then no vote can
be taken at all on the original motion,
since the house has decided that the
question shall not flow be put; in other
words, it is practically effaced or Super-
seded for the time being. If there is to
be a debate when the previous question
is proposed, the rule of an assembly
must so specifically state. In the
absence of this or other definite rule of
close, the law of Parliament must pre-
vail. As respects "reconsideration" of
a question alteady decided, if an as-
sembly has no 'special rule on the sub-
ject, then a motion to reconsider 'must
be regarded in the same light as any
other motion and as subject to no other
rules. For that reason he urged a defi-
nite rule on the subject in every society
or assembly. Questions were constantly
arising in this country on account of
assemblies confusing United States
methods of precedure with the common
law and usages of• Parliament. He
would, therefore, emphatically impress.
this principle on his audience :—Unless •
the rules of an assembly are trade clear
in every particular, and there is a refer-
ence in all cases of doubt to recognized
United States authorities, all such
dilatory and subsidiary motions as the
previous question, to adjourn, to lay on
the table and to postpone, can only be
subject to the rules that govern all
motions in Canadian Parliamentary
procedure and to no other.
Divisions oftlte Subject.
The lecturer then,proceeded to explain
succinctly the following divisions of his
subject: -
1. How presiding officers are chosen.
2. Order of business.
8. Notices of 'notions and proceed-
ings.
4. Minutes of proceedings. l
5. Proposal of motions.
0. How motions, and amendments
thereto,o are put.
7. How the sense of an assembly is
taken.
8, Debate of a motion or question.
9. The previous question.
' 10. Relevancy of debate.
11. Committees of the whole, and
select committees.
12. Reconsideration of a question.
13. Dilatory motions—to adjourn, to
lay on the table, to postpone, etc.
1;usinesa Habits of Englishmen.
In drawing to a conclusion the lec-
turer drew attention to the fact that all
the leading rules which govern public
assemblies in Canada are the result of
the business habits of Englishmen and
their descendants, as well as of their
love for free discussion. They illustrate,
like the English constitution,
"The clear and written law—the deep -
trod footmarks
Of ancient custom."
Laxity of procedure is antagonistic to
the successful prosecution of business.
Every rule is intended to give an oppor-
tunity for due deliberation, to ensure
relevancy of debate and prevent anyone
being surprised by the sadden consider-
ation of an important public question.
But if asked s,vbat •is essentially the
most important proceeding in legislative
assemblies, he would reply :—Under our
system of party, which, with all its in-
herent defects, appears the onlypractie-
al and workable method of reaching
definite results in governing a State,
the most important" proceeding in a
House of Commons is when the Speaker
orders the "yeas" and "nays" and the
division bells, set janglingsharp and
clear by the electric spark, summon the
members to take their places and vote—
the climax of all debate. This division
is the•logical sequence of all discussion
in and ontof Parliament. It is to make
these bells' ting that political parties
combine to meet in conflict. Party gov-
ernment means a vote on the floor of the
Commons House. All rules of proce-
dure, all political organizations, have
their real significance. when the bells
ring in the lobbies of the people's House,
where Governments rise iysid fall•
Dangers to be AVuided.
But divisions tiro taken to no ;purpose,
Votes are thrown away, rules of prode•
dare aro valueless, if peoples and Part a-
tnents are not governed by discretion.
jttstiee and patriotism, Our system of
government—its executive, administra-
tive and legislative inethods—has all the
essential elements of strength when
worked inthis Spirit of discretion. 1.1n -
der
rler no other'sysemn. would it be Possible
to harmonize the antagonistic eletnenti*
of race, religion and language which
exist in Canada, One great danger
must he always avoided, and that is,
the sectarianism which represents the
bigotry of past ages of religions feuds,
and means not suntdy divisions in polit-
ical parties, lint national disintegration.
In studying the forth do not let us for-
get the substance. No eonstituticnal
rules, no mere fortes of procedure, can
of themselves maks a people happy and
great, finless their rulers recognise els
the fullest sense their obligations to the
State, and exercise their power with.
discretion, and endeavor to elevate pub -
tic opinion, The machinery of the most
admirable coihstitution that men can
frame from the experience of the world's
history may be relatively worthless,
while the large powers and responsibili-
ties that are entrusted to the governing
bodies—powers and responsibilities
never embodied in acts of Parliatnpnt--
are forgotten in view of party triumph,
personal ambition or pecuniary gain, i
G*ennings or the ile!1 at census.
The report of the late census in Ben-
gal, which has just been published, up-
sets several beliefs which hitherto have -
found general acceptance, For in-
stance, it proves that the natives, in-
stead of'being averse to leaving their
ancestral villages, are steadily moving
from more densely peopled areas to
those where the population is less crowd •
ed; also that widow remarriage is prat- 1
tieally universal in Behar, Orissa, I
Chota•Nagpore, and among the lower
castes of Bengal proper, and le unknown
only among, a very few high imstes
everywhere and the more respectable
Souuras of Bengal proper. This report
also states that infant marriage does not
exist to any appreciable extent except
in north-east Behar and among the
Brahmins, Kayasths, and other purely
Soudra castes of western Bengal. It
also shows the great progress for
Mohammedanism, which has increased
more than 9 per cent. in Bengal proper •
in the last decade, while the increase of
Hinduism is less than 5 per cent, This
fact is explained to be due to the desire
on the hart of the lower castes to adopt
a religion which' treats all men as
equals.
ROYALTY ANNOYED BY OOVOLES.
An Ai►ierlcan Recently lensed in London.
an a Dulre—Conntorrelt Queen Natalie.
Many distinguished people are annoy-
ed at tltnes by the appearance of
' •doubles." Of these some are doubles
by nature; others, impelled by the love
of notoriety, pretend to be the person
they especially envy or admire. Not
long ago, says Tit -Bits, a German -
American made himself conspicuous in
London by posing as the Duke of Teck.
He played the role without interruption
for some time, but finally hie conduct
became so erratio that he was arrested
on the charge of swindling. The Im-
perial house of Austria has also a
"double," At Brunn, while a perform -
awe was being held in the City theatre,
a well-dressed, handsome young man
entered and desired to be shown to the
mayor's box, where he introduced him-
self as the 'Crown Prince of Austria,
The mayor saw at a glance that he had
to deal with a madman; as ho could not
remove him without a disturbance he
entertained him until ' tho end of the
first act, when he succeeded in getting
rid of the soi-distant prince, who subse-
quently proved to be a merchant's son. •
Natalie, ex -queen of Servia, may also
claim a double. The person so designated
carries on a small business, and except
that her name is Nathalie there seems to
be no resemblance between her and the
ex -queen. Still, she is known far and
Wide as her double, and for this reason;
A practical joker, learning that the
little tradeswoman intended to visit a
certain town, announced that "Na-
thalie"
•Na-
thalie" would honor it with her presence.
Naturally thinking that ate referred to
the queen, thousands gathered .at the
railway station on the. day specified,
only to find that they had been hoaxed.
Everyone in' Copenhagen, has heard of
the Czar's double, a banker by the name
bf Carlsen. He so strongly resembles
the Czar as to be frequently mistaken
for him. This flattered his vanity, and
he endeavored to counterfeit his illus-
trious model in all respects. When it
was announced that Alexander was on
his way to Copenhagen. Carlsen would
appear at the head of the procession in
a launch exactly like the Czar's, and
later on he would drive his four-in-hand
through the crowded streets, bowing
right and left to the cheering populace.
Being rich he scattered money freely,
which fact added to his popularity.
But the adulation he received was too
much for the poor 'man; his reason
tottered; he imagined that he really was
the Czar, and the nihilists were plotting
against hint. He finally became insane,
and was sent to a madhouse, where he
will remain while life lasts.
Giaasso^.s•.. 's. S;• -1.. •
Mr. Labtlnehere has come into posses -
Bion of a photograph of a sketch of Mr.
. tlladstono making his first great speech
in the House of Commonsin 1838. The
sketch, which is said to have been drawn
at the time, represents Mr. Gladstone,
then a member for Newark, speaking
froin the front bench below the'gang-
way in the old house that was burned
down the next year, Mr Gladstone's
very first utterance in the House of
Commons was made, not from the front
bench below the gangway, but from
under the gallery, where he was almost
inaudible to reporters; and, curiously
enough, it was in reply to Rigby Wasen,
;then member for Ipswich, and father of
Mr. Eugene Wason, whonow represents
South Ayrshire as one -of Mr. .Glad -
stone's staunchest supporters.'
Before Columbus. •
The belief in a Chinese Columbus was
first allowed by scholars only about fifty
years ago. Tho claim isthat a Buddhist
priest in the fifth century crossed the
Pacific to this continent and returned,
making a written report of his dioovery.
The report still exists. It was trans-
lated into French in 1791 by M. deGuig-
nes. It gives a narrative of a voyage
eastward by a priest for 20,000 li, where
he found a oo1{ntry which he named
Fusang. People"similar to the Indians
were described, as well as American
plants. The only doubt about the mat-
ter is as to the distance meant by 20,000
li. The priest may have reached only
some island in the Pacific Ocean.
•
Subjects of Five Rulers:
Of the 1, 500, 000,000 of the'earth'sinhab-
itants the Emperor of China holds sway
over,405,000,000; the Queen of England
rules or protects 380,000,000; the Czar
of Russia is dictator to 115,000.000;
France, in the Republic, dependencies
and spheres of influence, controls 70,-
000,000; the Germain Kaiser governs
55;000,000; the Sultan of Turkey lays
'down the law to 40,000,000; the •Mikado
of Japan has 40,000,000 subjects, and
, the King of Spain rules over 27;000,000,
i That is to say; two-thirds of the popula-
, tion of the globe is funder the govern-
'• rnent of five rulers. Here is monopoly
with a vengeance.
Gleams Frmn Across the Bridge.
Cora—Isaw JackEnslow's arm around
you last night on the piazza. How
. could you, dear, when you .are engaged
to another man?-
Dora—But Jack and I are old friends,
and this was- only in memory of old
times.
' Cora—Batt suppose your fiance. should
hear of it. What would you tell him?
Dora—I would tell hien that Jack
, was only presenting rhe with a souvenir
spoon.—Brooklyn Life.
•
The Itis; -Nosed ,lien:
•
People snake fun of a big nose, but
the big nosed people can stand a little
twitting, for the big fOse is the only
kind that makes its' way through the
world with credit to itself and its pos-
sessor. The , little stubby noses may
have brilliancy and imagination, but
l the big nose, particularly the big
Roman nose, has executive ability, and
Plenty of it: Nobody ever heard of a
little -nosed man commanding an army
or controlling large mercantile or in -
I flustrial iuterests. Stich places are not
given to little; noses, and only big noses
can fill therm, A little nose in a respon-
sible position may be safe, but will never
I be enterpriising.
I Tithing .011` Cilevrix:
As there is a right way and Many
i wrong Ways to put on gloves, there is
also a right way to take therm off. • They
should never be drawn off by the forger
very and idloose.
15e unless they are a
Taking them off in that 'way soon
stretches the ends of the fingers so that
they can never afterwards be made to
give a pleasing fit. Instead, take the
• glove by the;ivrlst, and draw it gently
back over the band till the second joint
of the forgers is reached. It ran then
bo drawn off by the finger tips without 1
damage. • When it is thus taken oft, the
best wily to treat it is to leave the fingers 1
distended, just as they came front the
hand; when it is beet wanted, it will fit
the hand much more easily, and look
better than if it were. smoothed and
- flattened back into the form of a new
glove. --Good Uottsekeeping.
Be Loyal to Friend.
If there is one trait more than another
that should be assidiously cultivated by
the woman who wishes to make herself
popular, that one is loyalty to her
friends. This trait embodies many
other estimable ones, and is the basis of
a lovely and noble character.. To begin
with, the. woman who is truly- loyal
never even thinks evil of those whom
• she has chosen to closely associate her-
self with, let alone expressing senti-
ments that might be construed into ap-
pearing derogatary, therefore backbiting
and unfriendly gossip never finds place
among the natural failings that even
tete most perfect being possesses. When
a woman has been tried and has stood
the test there should well up in the
heart of so staunch a friend a great
fountain of thanksgiving, for it is a
lamentable, but painfully true fact,
nevertheless, that there is something in
feminine nature that combats a genuine
spirit of loyalty every step of the way.
Petty jealousies, tjispioion, whether
well grounded or not; envy and oveu
malice are more apt to make themselves
visible in the attitude of one woman
toward another than is ever felt in
inan's dealings with inan. The hardest
censure and severest judgment always
emanate from critics of the gentler sex,
therefore the woman who has proved
herself loyal through good and evil
report alike has shown herself to be a
rare avis that should be highlyrized
by those so blessed as to call her friend.
—Philadelphia Times-
• the limn tteyttiretl.
With a well-balanced feed, 90 days is
ample tittle in which to prepare an an-
imal for market. Where the more nit -
r geneous foods were used, nearly ea
good daily gaine can be made by mixing
the grain with cut corn fodder as
though hay were used, and this may
make the difference of a profit instead
of a loss. Fifty per cent more mannre
is made from the animals receiving the
well-balanced ration, and the (manure is
also much richer iu plant.food.
To 1Cet•p Iee.
Ice can be kelt in the simplest kind of
a structure. The essential conditions
are that it shall be packed in a mass,
that there shall be nb air spaces itt the
bottom, that it shall be surrounded by
a non conlluctirtl; material and that It
sh,all have ventilation and be secure
from wet.
burn Proof.
Maude—Are you quite certain he
loves you ?
Edith—Indeed, I ant I Why, he actual-
ly hates every other man who has as good
word to say in my, behalf,—Boston
Trauseript.
Holding OIL
He—They say she is terribly rich, but
X don't want to propose to ner until I
have to.
She ---Why not.
tie --That would recess itato kissin
her.
•
A Blessing to, Every llousehold.
HOLLOWAY'S PILLS AND WNTME
These ronedlos haus stood the test of fifty yours experience, and are :pronounced the best tledialn
I'euttly use.
H1�J PILLS
Purity the blood, correct all disorders of the 1.1vCR, sTohf&OII, MONEYS ADD ; t t i 1: era
invaluable In till complaints incidental to tatnaies of all a;,es.
Istheonly reliable re tedy for bad legs, sores, ulcers, and old wounds. FOS, nnoNCHI1Is
TIM/AU, C 00115, ,OLDS, GOUT, lila, IATItS11, of.dnULAR 8W1tLLINGti AND ALI;
DM:MSS IT IIAS No EQUAL. Ytienutactured only at 78, New (Word. Late 5*3, Oxford Street, 1..edo**
and sold by all..tlodieloo Vendors throughout the arorhl.
t 'Purabasers should look to the Label on the Boxes and Pots. If the .address is snob
533 Oxford Street, Londou; they aro spurious.
]sew to t''r,•sevve Russet Shoes.
Do not use, any 50 called russet pol-
ishes, They tiro all harmful, Simply
reels off tit., shoes every morning with a
(tamp cloth and then polish thein briskly
With a Lott, ss .° They will soon
Pow •a beautiful polish without any
stick!'
RHEUMATISM
NEURALGIA PAIN IN SIDE 8t LAME BACK
CULAR STIFFNESS. Lpi1J U V Li OO
`"HEN"D. .C'o MENTHOL PLASTER
FOR, TYRE BEST VAL tL
IN
ORDERED OLOTHiNG,.
GO TO
WEBST
HATS, CAPS,
COLLARS,
SHIRTS,
CUFFS, &e.
Cheap for KASI-L
AT
WEBST111I.' ;
Upon having Featherbone Corsets.
Refuse all substitutes.
See they are stamped thus:
PATENTED SEPT. 3rd, 1884. No. 20110,
NONE ARE GENUINE UNLESS SO STAMPED.
r.:.'ri'.✓`•E}•Y'::ii'3-"4ih�.c'C1fi-''.r^..1Niin✓`Qr•-.i^i...,o w. T�.,. .n ..•i. , i'.'�. '.v .Y✓�.V*•.
f,% ora ••• ONLY lest A}�hmf}all y° ',� . ,' :, ' :•"'h O
.. •iY' •YJ 0iaAm ,�ir+ya �...� to e
Oit,,h,
ryhn:rmrF+rm�zc?
rl
• . • THE OXFORD-. •
That will burn
CAMIGH. 1^107 J anad] SEMI
•
...Equally Well...
YlifOriO J'!BIJIHE
,211E
Willdoit;;
Has tho Largest Guaf7.
IS A PARF11:R'S STOVE
EvevyKiof y'ss
Coo : love.
300 it.
OIL GAS COOK STOVE without a:n'a .
i:ii'fes. and Burns its Own Gas
'From Common Coal Oil.
:0 l:ozP,T, NDHEAT 'IN THE KITCHEN. i+
n-1 .I; v.: -1'•, s a Family Di�bC,.e A.J'.LT. V S
•
rlrje;ft9 "1tl' s,'; 'r
^i
,�Y i.l,.tii .y?.'J .�. l�..l,s ?`a!i,l.il .L t ':1
4,9
b'OR SALE BY
D. SUTHERLAND,
i'VINGHAnt, ONT..
. ,-�hTliPl'���.r*t'�' Ep
RRYnAIiiia�UK
�A
EP IT•YN THE _ 5
.DOYM KE �,�
Pisces Remedy for Catarrh is 11:e
�i
'• ` ..,,...seat
t• w u ista or sent b • mail,
SOi.pfd L, 8tS S
a
ren ,w rren PA.
• 1`'1 '.tires a .
N CANADIAN CHOLERA.
.IARRHCOA AND BOWEL COMPLAINTS.
EFFECT IS MAGICAL.,
•l',, Olt the removal of
I
wattle of ail kinds
from children or adults,
ass De. 'BMIT1.148
GERM O
AN WORM
LOZENCE13. Alwt►yli
prompt, reliable safe and pleasant, tmptitin no
Never failing. . Leevetobaal
'cine, ifte
idler meth �r S
lar.
erects. Pride, . $ Otutmtls Pel* Mar