The Home Secretary had to answer questions about the monitors, the First Lord of the Admiralty about the boats, the Secretary of State for War about fights, and so on, while more doubtful questions were usually first asked of the Premier, who, if he didn't find it convenient to answer them, was entitled to refer the inquirer to some other member of the Government.
It need hardly be said that the meetings of the Willoughby Parliament were occasionally more noisy than dignified, and yet there existed a certain sense of order and respect for the "authority of the House" which held the members in check, and prevented the meetings from degenerating into riots.

Another reason for the same result existed in the doctor, who sanctioned the Parliament only as long as it was conducted in an orderly manner, and did not offend against the rules of the school.

And a final and more terrible reason still was in the fact that the House had the power of expelling a member who was generally obnoxious.
The session at Willoughby always opened on the Saturday after the May sports, and notice had been duly given that Parliament would assemble this year on the usual date, and that the first business would be the election of a Speaker and a Government.
The reader will easily understand that, under present circumstances, an unusual amount of interest and curiosity centred in the opening meeting of the school senate, and at the hour of meeting the big dining-hall, arranged after the model of the great House of Commons, was, in spite of the fact that it was a summer evening, densely packed by an excited assembly of members.
Most of the boys as they entered had stopped a moment to read the "order paper," which was displayed in a prominent place beside the door.

It was crowned with notices, the first three of which gave a good idea of the prospect of a lively evening.
1.

"That the captain of the school be elected Speaker of this House." Proposed by T.