"So successful a watch and ward had been established over the young lady by this judicious parent, that she had grown up highly ornamental, but perfectly helpless and useless. With her character thus happily formed, in the first bloom of her youth she had encountered Mr. Pocket: who was also in the first bloom of youth, and not quite decided whether to mount to the Woolsack, or to roof himself in with a mitre. "

Because wool was so important to the economy of England hundreds of years ago, a leather sack of it was kept in Parliament as a symbol, as the seat of the principal officer. Comment by our UK friends would be very welcome.

A URL about wool, with picture of Woolsack at the very end.
http://www.d.umn.edu/~aroos/wool.html