after much talking and bowing to their friends, are introduced into their places by the messengers. The peers, in their robes of state, saunter up the House to their seats, or chat with the peeressesthus relieving with their scarlet robes the light colours of the ladies' dresses, and making both sides of the House look like two rich parterres. As the time for the Queen's arrival approaches, the Lord Chancellor and the various judges take their seat on the bench in front of the Woolsack, and form a most formidable row! In the seats reserved for the diplomatic corps are the various ambassadors and ministers, covered with orders, and in all kinds of uniforms. The Lord Chamberlain, the Usher of the Black Rod, Goldstick-in-waiting, and the Sergeantat-arms, are in attendance, and all is ready for her Majesty's arrival. At two o'clock a messenger enters the House, and requests "my lords and ladies to uncover." And then all the ladies remove their shawls, and show how gorgeously they are "got up,' and how they disapprove of the theory that beauty unadorned is adorned the most. A long pause of expectation ensues, and then-the doors are thrown open, and the heralds enter two by two, bowing stiffly in their handsome awkward tabards as they pass before the rich Gothic, but to all appearance

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uncomfortable-looking, throne. They are followed by the great officers of the household and by the peers bearing the Sword of State, the Cap of Maintenance, and the Crown; and then appears her gracious Majesty. And now all rise and stand till the Queen, having ascended the throne, commands the House to be seated.

All being assembled, her Majesty desires the Lord Great Chamberlain, who commands the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, to let the Commons know that "it is her Majesty's pleasure they attend her immediately in this House." Up goes the Usher of the Black Rod to the door of the faithful Commons, which he strikes three times with his rod, and, on being admitted, advances up the middle of the House towards the table, makes three obeisances to the chair, and then says, "Mr Speaker, the Queen commands this honourable House to attend her Majesty immediately in the House of Peers." Like schoolboys let out for an extra holiday, away rush the Commons, with their Speaker at their head, to the bar of the House of Peers; and then her Majesty, in that clear silvery voice of hers, reads to both Houses of Parliament her speech, which is delivered into her hands by the Lord Chancellor kneeling upon one knee. The speech over,

the House of Lords is adjourned, and the Commons retire from the bar. In the afternoon the House is resumed, and some bill is read a first time, as a matter of form, in order to show that Parliament has a right of deliberating without reference to the immediate causes of summons. This done, the Queen's speech is read by the Lord Chancellor, and afterwards by the clerk, and an address in answer to it is moved. Two members selected by the Administration now move and second the address, which is an answer paragraph by paragraph to the Queen's speech. The address, finally agreed to, is ordered to be presented to her Majesty. When the Queen does not open Parliament in person, the causes of summons are declared by the Lords Commissioners, and the programme of the ceremony is slightly changed. On such occasions the opening of Parliament is a mere matter of form and routine, and no spectacle whatever.*

Perhaps you have noticed, when paying a visit to the House of Lords in holiday time, a comfortable kind of ottoman in front of the throne. This

* During the last session (1870) Mr Gladstone introduced a Bill to amend the Acts of the 37th Geo. III., c. 127, and the 39th and 40th Geo. III., c. 14, by enabling the Government to assemble Parliament within six day, instead of fourteen days, after the public notification."

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is the Woolsack, the seat of the Lord Chancellor. In the reign of Elizabeth an Act of Parliament was passed to prevent the exportation of wool, and to keep in mind this source of our national wealth, woolsacks were placed in the House of Lords, whereon the judges sat. The order in which the Lords are to sit is defined by an Act of Parliament, but it is seldom observed with any strictness. The bishops always sit together in the upper part of the House, on the right hand of the throne; the members of the Administration on the front bench, on the right hand of the Woolsack, adjoining the bishops; and the peers who usually vote with them. on the other benches on that side of the House. The peers in opposition are ranged on the opposite side of the House, whilst those who desire to maintain a political neutrality sit upon the cross benches placed between the table and the bar. Every member of Parliament is under a constitutional obligation to attend the service of the House to which he belongs. Formerly a member of the House of Lords could serve by proxy by virtue of a royal licence, authorising him to be personally absent if he appointed another Lord of Parliament as his proxy: this has now been done away with, and the personal service of every peer is required. On ordinary occasions,

however, the attendance of peers is not enforced by any regulation; but when any urgent business requires their attendance, it has been usual to order the House to be called over, and this order has sometimes been enforced by fines and imprisonments upon absent Lords. The Lords usually meet for despatch of legislative business at five o'clock in the afternoon, but they very rarely sit either on Wednesday or Thursday. The quorum of the Upper House is but three-a number palpably inadequate for a numerous deliberative assembly; and the average attendance of peers is very incommensurate with the number of those whose privilege it is to take part in the proceedings of this august body. But in the fulfilment of their legislative functions, the Lords have long ceased to take the initiative in the introduction of great public measures. Bills which concern the improvement of the law, and certain private bills, appropriately commence with the House of Lords, but, as a general rule, the House of Commons is not disposed to receive very favourably bills which do not originate with themselves. The province of the Peers is chiefly to control and amend the projects of legislation which emanate from the Commons, and any one who remembers the conduct of the Lords on