north america-2-第10章

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ed　in　a　semicircular　form；　or　in　a　broad　horseshoe；　and　every　member　as　he　sits　faces　the　Speaker。　　A　score　or　so　of　little　boys　are　always　running　about　the　floor　ministering　to　the　members'　wishescarrying　up　petitions　to　the　chair；　bringing　water　to　long…　winded　legislators；　delivering　and　carrying　out　letters；　and　running　with　general　messages。　　They　do　not　seem　to　interrupt　the　course　of　business；　and　yet　they　are　the　liveliest　little　boys　I　ever　saw。　When　a　member　claps　his　hands；　indicating　a　desire　for　attendance；　three　or　four　will　jockey　for　the　honor。　　On　the　whole；　I　thought　the　little　boys　had　a　good　time　of　it。　But　not　so　the　Speaker。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　the　amount　of　work　falling　upon　the　Speaker's　shoulders　was　cruelly　heavy。　　His　voice　was　always　ringing　in　my　ears　exactly　as　does　the　voice　of　the　croupier　at　a　gambling…table；　who　goes　on　declaring　and　explaining　the　results　of　the　game；　and　who　generally　does　so　in　sharp；　loud；　ringing　tones；　from　which　all　interest　in　the　proceeding　itself　seems　to　be　excluded。　　It　was　just　so　with　the　Speaker　in　the　House　of　Representatives。　　The　debate　was　always　full　of　interruptions；　but　on　every　interruption　the　Speaker　asked　the　gentleman　interrupted　whether　he　would　consent　to　be　so　treated。　　〃The　gentleman　from　Indiana　has　the　floor。〃　　〃The　gentleman　from　Ohio　wishes　to　ask　the　gentleman　from　Indiana　a　question。〃　　〃The　gentleman　from　Indiana　gives　permission。〃　　〃The　gentleman　from　Ohio！〃these　last　words　being　a　summons　to　him　of　Ohio　to　get　up　and　ask　his　question。　　〃The　gentleman　from　Pennsylvania　rises　to　order。〃　　〃The　gentleman　from　Pennsylvania　is　in　order。〃　　And　then　the　House　seems　always　to　be　voting；　and　the　Speaker　is　always　putting　the　question。　　〃The　gentlemen　who　agree　to　the　amendment　will　say　Aye。〃　　Not　a　sound　is　heard。　　〃The　gentlemen　who　oppose　the　amendment　will　say　No。〃　　Again　not　a　sound。　　〃The　Ayes　have　it；〃　says　the　Speaker；　and　then　he　goes　on　again。　　All　this　he　does　with　amazing　rapidity；　and　is　always　at　it　with　the　same　hard；　quick；　ringing；　uninterested　voice。　　The　gentleman　whom　I　saw　in　the　chair　was　very　clever；　and　quite　up　to　the　task。　　But　as　for　dignity！　Perhaps　it　might　be　found　that　any　great　accession　of　dignity　would　impede　the　celerity　of　the　work　to　be　done；　and　that　a　closer　copy　of　the　British　model　might　not　on　the　whole　increase　the　efficiency　of　the　American　machine。　When　any　matter　of　real　interest　occasioned　a　vote；　the　ayes　and　noes　would　be　given　aloud；　and　then；　if　there　were　a　doubt　arising　from　the　volume　of　sound；　the　Speaker　would　declare　that　the　〃ayes〃　or　the　〃noes〃　would　seem　to　have　it！　　And　upon　this　a　poll　would　be　demanded。　　In　such　cases　the　Speaker　calls　on　two　members；　who　come　forth　and　stand　fronting　each　other　before　the　chair；　making　a　gangway。　　Through　this　the　ayes　walk　like　sheep；　the　tellers　giving　them　an　accelerating　poke　when　they　fail　to　go　on　with　rapidity。　Thus　they　are　counted；　and　the　noes　are　counted　in　the　same　way。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　it　would　be　very　possible　in　a　dishonest　legislator　to　vote　twice　on　any　subject　of　great　interest；　but　it　may　perhaps　be　the　case　that　there　are　no　dishonest　legislators　in　the　house　of　Representatives。　According　to　a　list　which　I　obtained；　the　present　number　of　members　is　173；　and　there　are　63　vacancies　occasioned　by　secession。　　New　York　returns　33　members；　Pennsylvania；　25；　Ohio；　21；　Virginia；　13；　Massachusetts　and　Indiana；　11；　Tennessee　and　Kentucky；　10；　South　Carolina；　6；　and　so　on；　till　Delaware；　Kansas；　and　Florida　return　only　1　each。　　When　the　Constitution　was　framed；　Pennsylvania　returned　8；　and　New　York　only　6；　whereas　Virginia　returned　10；　and　South　Carolina　5；　From　which　may　be　gathered　the　relative　rate　of　increase　in　population　of　the　free…soil　States　and　the　slave　States。　All　these　States　return　two　Senators　each　to　the　other　HouseKansas　sending　as　many　as　New　York。　　The　work　in　the　House　begins　at　twelve　noon；　and　is　not　often　carried　on　late　into　the　evening。　　Indeed；　this；　I　think；　is　never　done　till　toward　the　end　of　the　session。　The　Senate　house　is　in　the　opposite　wing　of　the　building；　the　position　of　the　one　house　answering　exactly　to　that　of　the　other。　It　is　somewhat　smaller；　but　is；　as　a　matter　of　course；　much　less　crowded。　　There　are　34　States；　and；　therefore；　68　seats　and　68　desks　only　are　required。　　These　also　are　arranged　in　a　horseshoe　form；　and　face　the　President；　but　there　was　a　sad　array　of　empty　chairs　when　I　was　in　Washington；　nineteen　or　twenty　seats　being　vacant　in　consequence　of　secession。　　In　this　house　the　Vice…President　of　the　United　States　acts　as　President；　but　has　by　no　means　so　hard　a　job　of　work　as　his　brother　on　the　other　side　of　the　way。　　Mr。　Hannibal　Hamlin；　from　Maine；　now　fills　this　chair。　　I　was　driven；　while　in　Washington；　to　observe　something　amounting　almost　to　a　peculiarity　in　the　Christian　names　of　the　gentlemen　who　were　then　administrating　the　government　of　the　country。　　Mr。　Abraham　Lincoln　was　the　President；　Mr。　Hannibal　Hamlin；　the　Vice…President；　Mr。　Galusha　Grow；　the　Speaker　of　the　House　of　Representatives；　Mr。　Salmon　Chase；　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　Mr。　Caleb　Smith；　the　Attorney…　General；　Mr。　Simon　Cameron；　the　Secretary　of　War；　and　Mr。　Gideon　Welles；　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy。　In　the　Senate　House；　as　in　the　other　house；　there　are　very　commodious　galleries　for　strangers；　running　round　the　entire　chambers；　and　these　galleries　are　open　to　all　the　world。　　As　with　all　such　places　in　the　States；　a　large　portion　of　them　is　appropriated　to　ladies。　　But　I　came　at　last　to　find　that　the　word　lady　signified　a　female　or　a　decently　dressed　man。　　Any　arrangement　for　classes　is　in　America　impossible；　the　seats　intended　for　gentlemen　must；　as　a　matter　of　course；　be　open　to　all　men；　but　by　giving　up　to　the　rougher　sex　half　the　amount　of　accommodation　nominally　devoted　to　ladies；　the　desirable　division　is　to　a　certain　extent　made。　　I　generally　found　that　I　could　obtain　admittance　to　the　ladies'　gallery　if　my　coat　were　decent　and　I　had　gloves　with　me。　All　the　adjuncts　of　both　these　chambers　are　rich　and　in　good　keeping。　　The　staircases　are　of　marble；　and　the　outside　passages　and　lobbies　are　noble　in　size　and　in　every　way　convenient。　　One　knows　well　the　trouble　of　getting　into　the　House　of　Lords　and　House　of　Commons；　and　the　want　of　comfort　which　attends　one　there；　and　an　Englishman　cannot　fail　to　make　comparisons　injurious　to　his　own　country。　　It　would　not；　perhaps；　be　possible　to　welcome　all　the　world　in　London　as　is　done　in　Washington；　but　there　can　be　no　good　reason　why　the　space　given　to　the　public　with　us　should　not　equal　that　given　in　Washington。　　But；　so　far　are　we　from　sheltering　the　public；　that　we　have　made　our　House　of　Commons　so　small　that　it　will　not　even　hold　all　its　own　members。　I　had　an　opportunity　of　being　present　at　one　of　their　field　days　in　the　senate；　Slidell　and　Mason　had　just　then　been　sent　from　Fort　Warren　across　to　England　in　the　Rinaldo。　　And　here　I　may　as　well　say　what　further　there　is　for　me　to　say　about　those　two　heroes。　　I　was　in　Boston　when　they　were　taken；　and　all　Boston　was　then　full　of　them。　　I　was　at　Washington　when　they　were　surrendered；　and　at　Washington　for　a　time　their　n