As for the members of the public who sat in the galleries cheering or whistling, these were not the representatives of a free public, capable of forming its own opinions, but ‘hired men’, and ‘friends and dependants of the ministers’ bearing tickets handed out by the government. Whereas ministers were greeted with loud applause as soon as they stood up to speak, interpellations or critical comments by deputies were drowned out by shouts, whistles and other signs of disapproval, so that it was sometimes impossible to carry on.
