portance.

BLACKPOOL, a municipal and county borough and seaside resort in the
Blackpool parliamentary division of Lancashire, England, 46 m. N. of
Liverpool, served by the Lancashire & Yorkshire, and London & North
Western railways. Pop. (1891) 23,846; (1901) 47,346. The town, which is
quite modern, contains many churches and chapels of all denominations, a
town hall, public libraries, the Victoria hospital, three piers,
theatres, ball-rooms, and other places of public amusement, including a
lofty tower, resembling the Eiffel Tower of Paris. The municipality
maintains an electric tram service. There are handsome promenades along
the sea front, which command fine views. Extensive works upon these,
affording a sea front unsurpassed by that of any English watering-place,
were completed in 1905. The beach is sandy and the bathing good. The
borough was created in 1876 (county borough, 1904), and is governed by a
mayor, 12 aldermen and 36 councillors. Area, exclusive of foreshore,
3496 acres; including foreshore, 4244 acres.

BLACK ROD (more fully, "Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod "), an official
of the House of Lords, instituted in 1350. His appointment is by royal
letters patent, and his title is due to his staff of office, an ebony
stick surmounted with a gold lion. He is a personal attendant of the
sovereign in the Upper House, and is also usher of the order of the
Garter, being doorkeeper at the meetings of the knights' chapter. He is
responsible for the maintenance of order in the House of Lords, and on
him falls the duty of arresting any peer guilty of breach of privilege
or other offence of which the House takes cognizance. But the duty which
brings him most into prominence is that of summoning the Commons and
their speaker to the Upper House to hear a speech from the throne or the
royal assent given to bills. If the sovereign is present in parliament,
Black Rod _commands_ the attendance of the gentlemen of the Commons, but
when lords commissioners represent the king, he only _desires_ such
attendance. Black Rod is on such occasions the central figure of a
curious ceremony of much historic significance. As soon as the
attendants of the House of Commons are aware of his approach, they close
the doors in his face. Black Rod then strikes three times with his
staff, and on being asked "Who is there?" replies "Black Rod." Being
then admitted he advances to the bar of the House, makes three
obeisances and say