745 THE LADY OF QUALITY This section of Every Woman's Encyclopaedia wi and social life. It will contain authoritative articles upon 11 deal with all phases and aspects of Court Presentations and other Func- Card Parties tions Dances Court Balls At Homes The Art of Entertaining ; Garden Parties, Dinner Parties, etc. 1 etc., etc. The Fashionable Resorts of Europe Great Social Positions Occupied by Women Etiquette for all Occasions, etc. WOMEH IN (GREAT SOCSAIL F0SET20HS Continued from page 628, Part 5 WIFE OF THE "FIRST COMMONER OF THE REALM" A Post oE Great Antiquity and Dignity — Invitations that are Commands — ** Mrs. Speaker " and Her Privileges — The Importance of Her Position — Some Apt Sayings oE the Present Speaker— Some Quaint Perquisites of the Speaker " /^o get ye to your Chamber, and choose ^-* a fit and proper man to be your Speaker, and bring him unto us for our inspection and approval." It was thus, in the days of long ago, that " Good Queen Bess " addressed the faithful Commons, and led to the institution of a parliamentary office which carries with it an unique distinction. For the holder of the ofhce of Speakership at St. Stephen's takes precedence as " The First Commoner of the Realm," lives in West- minster Palace, receives a salary of ^5,000 a year, and enjoys numerous privileges. ••Mr. Speaker" The post, however, is no sinecure, although to some it may appear to be ornamental more than useful. The Speaker is respon- sible for the arrangement of the daily business of the House, and is in constant consultation with the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition regarding the parliamen- tary programme. He controls the issue of all parliamentary papers laid upon the table, sanctions the rules applying to private members' bills, and he has considerable powers regarding the taxation of costs incurred in this branch of parUamentary business. " Mr. Speaker " is supreme ruler over the debates in the House. Tact, firmness, and strict impartiality, however, must govern his ruhngs. It is he who must settle all points of order in parliamentary pro- cedure ; who must pour oil on troubled waters when the excitement of debate tends to lead to personalities, and who must see that the dignity of the parUamentary assembly is always maintained. Members invariably obey his orders and bow to his rulings, for they recognise in him a strictly impartial chairman, whose one wish is to be scrupulously fair to all parties. Whatever the private political views of " Mr. Speaker " may be, in the House he must be a man of no party and no politics. This places not only himself, but also his wife, in a peculiar and delicate position at times. For, quite apart from his work in the Commons, " Mr. Speaker " has many social duties to perform. He gives no fewer than seven full-dress parliamentary dinners in the course of a session, in addition to two levees. To the first dinner prominent members of the Government sitting are invited. At the second, the leading members of the Opposition, while at the third banquet Privy Councillors and members of former Ministries not hitherto invited are included among the guests. Then follow three mixed banquets for the " rank and file " of the House, and, finally, the Speaker entertains the officials of the House, of whom there are over fifty. Official Banquets And here it might be mentioned that the Speaker's invitation, like the King's, is a command, which must be obeyed, except in the case of sudden illness or death. In- deed, it is said that if he chose to do so the Speaker could have a man arrested for failing to come to dinner when invited. At all these dinners the guests appear in levee dress — the Privy Councillors in their dark blue uniforms with elaborate trimming of gold lace and acorn leaves ; members of his Majesty's household are gorgeous in 2 D
