The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-07-06 00:00:00

THE BRADLAUGH DEBATE.

It was twenty-five minutes to six when Mr. Glad-
stone rose, and moved that the orders of the day be
postponed till after the consideration of the resolution
respecting the Parliamentary Oath. Mr. Gorst raised
as a point of order the question whether it was
competent for the Prime Minister to move a resolution
which would rescind a motion arrived at by the House
during the current Session. The hon. member, amidst
manifest signs of impatience, went into the case in
great detail. Mr. Gladstone, simply observing that
there was no point in his argument calling for an
answer, invited the Speaker to give his decision. The
Speaker pointed out that between the resolution of
June 22nd and that now proposed there were essential
differences, and he could see no ground for interposing
to prevent the resolution now proposed being put.
Mr. Gladstone was received with loud cheers from
the Ministerialists. The Cabinet might well, he
observed, have left the settlement to the majority who
created the difficulty. But the dignity of the House
must be maintained with respect to the decency of its
proceedings, and he plainly indicated his belief that
any further delay on the part of the Government in
taking up the matter would have led to a repetition of
the scene which had resulted in Mr. Bradlsugh's
committal. If the scene had been again repeated Mr.
Bradlaugh would have again been committed to the
custody of the Serjeant-at-Anns, "and I cannot," the
Premier added, "see any urthod of deliverance from
these proceeding's by committal on one day and release
without apology on the next." There was no founds
tion for the argument that Mr. Bradlaugh had forced
or obtruded his atheism upon the House. When
Mr. Bradlaugh appeared at the table claiming
to make affirmation, he had narrowly and strictly
confined himself to the formula of the Act of Parlia-
ment, and it was only in reply to questions put by the
Clerk that mention was made of his opinion on
religious questions. The Main proposition on which
Mr. Gladstone based his temperate speech was that it
is not well that any person duly elected and tendering
himself at the table in the terms of the Act, either to
swear or to make affirmation, should be precluded from
taking his place (subject to liabilities incumbent upon
him by statute) in consequence of any questions put to
him on behalf of the House.
Sir Stafford Northoote entirely concurred with the
Prime Minister, desiring that the debate should be
"as uncontroversial as possible." For his own part
and for his party he declined the responsibility of the
matter. Nevertheless, he believed that if they were
going to deal with the question effectively it must be
by legislation. It would be a step "to a certain
extent humiliating" to call upon the House to rescind
a resolution deliberately come to; the House, if it set
this precedent, would have occasion to repent it. Mr.
Marriott rising, the House suddenly and swiftly
emptied, amongst the "strangers" departing being
Dean Stanley, who had sat in the Speaker's gallery.
Mr. Bradlaugh, relieved from the rule which requires
a member whose conduct is under discussion to leave
the House, remained in his usual seat under the gallery.
Mr. P. J. Smyth drew an a'arming picture of an
approaching time when the Bible would be removed
from the table of the House and replaced by a book of
affirmations inscribed with the words, "God expunged
by special desire." Mr. Sullivan asked was the
resolution a capitulation to Mr. Bradlaugh, or was an
amendment of the law demanded by a large class?
There was a story in an Irish novel of
a lord-lieutenant who PM Informed that the
North Cork Militia were paraded in the Castle-
yard. He went out to review them, and, looking
round, asked, "Where is the North Cork Militia ?"
"Here I am, your honour," said a solitary individual
standing there in uniform. Where was the class
oppressed by the present condition of the law?
" Here I am, says an individual stitting there under
the gallery," Mr. Sullivan responded, pointing to the
place where Mr. lirsdlaugh sat listening to the debate.
31r. Henry Richards would vote for the motion,
believing it was based on the principle for which
Nonc mformists had contended (or two hundred years,
the principle that they had no right to deprive a man
of civil and political rights because of his opinions on
question. 'd religion.
At a quarter to two a division was called, the
resolution bring carried by 903 votes against 24
The announcement of the figures was received with
loud cheer's from the Ministerial benches. The House
then divided on Mr. Sullivan's motion, making the
resolution prospective. This was rejected by 274 to
'2313.

Thu reanon wily MO many are unable to take Ckvaoa
that the % sriotics commonly sold are inked vAth
sten+, lei tio. plea .4 renaming them soluble, while
rosily making them thick, henry, and indigestible. This
luny is. easily tiltieCted, fir if ascoa thickens in MG cup
a proses Mr ske.litiuss of starch. Cadbury's Comm
*wen., is gout l i 1111 l it is therefore three times the
stroliith .4 thus. Cocoas, and a refreshing beverage
lilts roe or Coffee.

. •
ia tlvpros telegraphs the forced labour ordinance
lots boon repealed, as well as that respecting the sale
of land to foreigners.
With reference to the reported preparations by
Russia with • view to Chinese complications, the
Emperor is to visit Omnstadt to inspect the three
ships that are to sail to join the Pacific squadron. It
Is stated that the River Peiho is being fortified by the
Chinese with Krupp guns, and that troops are hourly
expected from Shanghai. War Is regarded as
Inevitable.

TiioUysgivico OF SIR E. BATE,. —ln declaring that Sir I
Edward Bates was illegally elected, the Judges have .
vindicated and justified the action of the petitioners, who
simply did their duty to the law by calling attention to
its infraction. The persons who deprived Plymouth of
his services as its Tory member were those who made the
illegal and corrupt en 'gement with the trawlers of
Penzance that not even these lenient Judges could over-
look; and it is a new thing even in the history of
election judgments that the prosecutors and the
witnesses who set the law in motion should be thus
severely handled by the Judge who. by his deeision
declares that they were right —Dady New.
A.loTHelt QuesrioN. Re-a Goblin
Juggodib evened that he was the person who had the legal
right to propitiate goblets Jeo. and to reee ye the offenngs
of persons who adore that comparatively obscure deity.
He was the eon of the last priest of Buldeb lac; but Rani
was proved to be only the illegitimate son of the priest of
guldeb Jeo, and that by a girl of inferior caste. Conn-
quently it has been decvied that Ram is not entitled to
to the family living. It would be interesting to
know how Juzgernath Bramarbar Roy would be expected
I to behave if he were elected to the House of Commons.
How would he take the oath! It does not seem
,probable
that Buldeb's creed is what Orientals call ' a book
religion'
they tion." His worshippers are more probably in the
position of a people in Asia who say " once had
k, but a cow ate it" Iliftwulties of this sort are sure
to occur, as our oriental fellow-subjects became more
intimately connected with the /Ampire and its administra.
Mott [They may now be got over 4ls Bradlaugh, and
a queerer oollection of memUrs yet be the mull—End
A Sifting IN LesoviLLE—At headrille ol.) Mu
citisens are suffering from excitement. A strike is going
on among the coiner,; and people who are net miners
close their ranks, learn to drill, purchase Winchester
repeating riffes; and are determined to sell their lives
dearly. The strikers asserted their night to walk on the
pavement and were instantly charged by Colonel Bohn.
The strikers bolted into hiding places, but aflerwer4
rallied, in answer to which demonstration the citisens
"looked very ugly.' The Mayor of Leadeille mid umi,
of the Town Council are supposed to sympathise with
the men on strike.
A MASS meeting to protest against the exclusion of
Mr aradlaugh from the Rouse of Commons wail held
in Trafalgar-square, London, on Monday night.
Between 8,000 and 10,000 persons were present. Mr.
BradLsugh, who addressed the crowd, urged them to
return peaceably to their homu. When the meetinik
broke up, some hundreds actually ry.,‘Led into
Westminster-hall before the police could prevent
I them. With some difficulty the police succeeded in
clearing the hall and Palace-yard.