A fun little read.
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/special/Bassett/tdetail.cfm?id=15
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Great find! We should get this put on the FAQ
Good article. It would be interesting to know how their supplier was.
I donât know if its urban myth but there is supposed to be a similar box in the UK Houses of Parliament.
Wonderful article, though âas many as 12 pinches a dayâ, hah!
Yeah, 12 pinches, oooh what a demon. I took about twelve reading the article.
Not that I think it makes me big and clever >:)
A few years back, and just for fun, I sent some to the Senate and some to the House of Commons, sadly I never received a thank you from either.
Very rude response to a nice gesture,
So they do keep it in the commons then?
@Snuffster Yes I heard there is a similar setup in the UK Houses of Parliament. When I was reading this I was visualizing all the senators essentially powdered with snuff. It sounds like none of them could keep their hands out of the stuff for more than a few minutes! Imagine that sort of behaviour taking place today! I first read about it in this book . They may even mention the blend, Iâll have to reread it.
@Toque I canât believe you didnât get a response!Â
Thatâs a great little book, one of my favourites. I love the copy of the engraving showing female snuffers in the 18thC taking their first pinch:)
I have a large silver table snuff box with two compartments and the House of Commons device and the words âHouse of Commonsâ engraved on the lid. I doubt very much itâs from there but I have never seen one like it. Probably made for the tourist trade at some point.
The question is, what kind of snuff is in those governmental snuff boxes? Who re-supplies it or does it have some hundred year old dust inside? I would have to re-read mine but Iâm fairly sure they donât mention it.
I think the MP Nicholas Fairbairn was the last MP to use the snuff box in the House of Commons in 1995. Quite the eccentric with his tartan trousers. He was also the last person to carry a loaded gun in to the House of Commons. A miniature silver pistol always dangled from his belt and everyone presumed wrongly that it was mere decoration.
Great article! This reminds me when I was in college, I had to read a book on Henry Clay. During the later years of Henryâs life he came down with some kind of sickness which made him shake (Parkinsonâs maybe). In correspondence with a friend, the friend recommended he give up at least one form of tobacco use to see if it would help. Henry Clay used snuff, chew, and smoked a pipeâŚsometimes all at the same time all day long!!! As a dipper I found this amusing since Henry Clay used tobacco all his life (in huge quantities I might add) and lived a long life, yet people were telling me I would die soon because I dipped Copenhagen! That was twenty years ago 
@Gentleman, I donât know where youâd find it offline. I actually picked mine up from snuffstoreâŚitâs a good read but the book is quite thin, you could read it cover to cover in under an hour. Still nice to add to your hobby though!
You might try googling âabe booksâ, but they might not do so much business with the UK.
@Gentleman Its published by Shire albums written by Ursula Bourne ISBN 0-7478-0089-8. I am pretty sure they are still in print but Amazon would certainly have them as used copies. Let me know if you canât find one.
Also perhaps of interest âKendal Brown The History of Kendalâs Tobacco and and Snuff Industryâ by J.W. Dunderdale.
My understanding is that the House of Lords carries Gawith Hoggarthâs âEnglish Roseâ. The U.S. Senate also has a snuffbox, though god knows what they put in there now that they donât make Maccoboy anymore.
YES! Thatâs the one I heard too but I couldnât remember for sure. âEnglish Roseâ
There was a question on last years quiz on that:
3. What do the snuffs used in the British Parliament and the US Senate have in common? (1 pts)
Answer: **Three answers were correct:
- snuff is left in communal boxes for the use of members of Parliament and Senate
- bought from public expense
- both are rose scented**