The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-12-10 00:00:00

LORD RIPON ON HOME RULE.

Lord Ripon, addressing a meeting at Warrington on
Monday night, alluded to the meetings addressed by
Lord Hartington and Mr. Goschen in Dublin, and
said it was admitted that Ireland was not unanimous
in demanding Home Rule. Bat the great majority of
the people were Home Rulers, and, protesting against
the doctrine that there should be perfect unanimity
before constitutional changes were passed, he pointed
out that public opinion was far from being unanimous
at the time of the Act of Union.

THE SPEAKER .ON PROCEDURE.
The Right Hon. A. W. Peel, the Speaker -of the
Housa of Commons, on Tuesday night, responded to
the toast of "The Houses of Parliament" at a
banquet given at the Town Hall by the Mayor of
Leamington, Mr. John Fell. He said, in reference
to the House of Commons: It is gratifying to know
that in a large assembly like this so much respect and
veneration can be entertained for that great delibera-
tive Assembly. That House has lately pasfiedthrough
a session of unexampled severity, and I hope the
lesson we have learned during that session—a lesson
which has been burnt into the minds, and perhaps the
bodies, of some of us—will be that we must conduct
our business under more rational rules. I speak not
only of the duration of hours, but of the necessity of
rules which shall conduce to the Droner business of a

great nation. .eers.) Among thw.„yezy last or
the members who have been returned to fill a
vacancy is an illustrious man who is the great repre..
sentative of science in this country. Professor
Stokes, the member for the University of Cambridge,
who has justiJoeen returned to Parliament, unites in
his own person the three functions of a Professor of
the University, a member of Parliament, and the
President of the Royal Society. (Cheers.) , Not since
the days of Sir Isaac Newton have these three func-
tions been combined in ene single individual. I can only
hope that that illustrious man may not be deterred
by the rough climate of the House of Commons
from giving that House, as he is well entitled to do,
the benefit of his scientific way of looking at matters,
and probing facts to the bottom, and deducing
from them sound conclusions. That is a scientific
method of reasoning, which it will not be wrong
for the House of Commons to adopt in the many
subjects that come before us. We cannot afford
to do without a scientific method, and we -cannot
have a better exponent of that scientific method than
the illustrious gentleman to whom I have referred.
It is essential for the conduct of public business in
any society—it is, above all, essential for the trans•
action of business in the great council of the nation—
that there should be order. (Loud cheers). As
Speaker of the House of Commons I can have nothing
to do with the struggles of parties. It is nothing to
me as Speaker of the House, though it is much to
me as your representative in Parliament, whether
Ws or that bill passes into an Act of Parliament.
But what I have to concern myself with—and it is
the dearest wish of my heart—is that whatever
be the conflicts in that assembiy, whatever be
the fierce partizanship on the one side or the
other, whatever be the virulence, if you please.
of political factions, the warfare should be
conducted on rules of chivalry, and that anything
savouring of riot or rowdyism should be put down
not only by the consensus of a majority of the House
of Commons but by the united voice of the constitu-
encies of the Empire. (Cheers.) lam speaking in
the presence of the Mayors of Birmingham, Strat-
ford, and Warwick, and every one of these gentlemen
will bear me out that in the council room the first
essential is order and regularity of debate. (Cheers.)
I heard the Mayor of Stratford say be could not
always keep his council in order, though I scarcely
believe him. (Laughter.) But I only cite him as a
witness, and I knew he will be a willing witness to
what I say, that the first and absolute requirement of
the conduct of business, be it important or the reverse,
is that order should be maintained. (Cheers.) I sit
down, asking every gentleman here to agree with me,
as I know they will, in this sentiment—that whatever
our conflicts may be, we should fight under the supre-
macy of law and under the imperative obligations of
order. (Cheers.)