Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/52

 until he dropped the fatal phrase 'our circuit,' when he was instantly howled down as an impostor. "The House is impatient of bores, and the process of calling 'divide, divide, 'vide, 'vide!' and 'order, order!' soon extinguishes the most formidable bore. The old members of the House of Commons hastily arrange with each other to put down a bore by a concentric crossfire, one side calling 'divide, divide!' and the other 'order, order, question, question!' The effect is striking and conclusive"

On one occasion, an interminable bore was annoying the House and preventing business. H. H. moved "that the honourable gentleman be no longer heard." The Speaker rose with great dignity and declined to put his motion, but he added these significant words: "I must, however, warn the hon. Member that he is trifling with the time of the House, and if he persists it will be necessary to take some decisive action." The Speaker told H. H. afterwards that only in the case of an attack on the ambassador of a foreign Power would such a motion as he proposed be permitted. On the same occasion he admitted that one can use very strong language if properly selected in the House.

The man who comes into the House of Commons without any fixed views, but who is determined to distinguish himself by taking part in every debate, often ruins his reputation in the first few months, and is never again listened to.

H. H. knew a member who made his maiden speech within an hour of entering the House.

On the other hand, during the first seventeen years H. H. was in Parliament, Mr W. W. Beach—the father of the House of Commons—never once