The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-06-05 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY SCENE.

In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, Sir M. H. Bach, refer-
ring to the "mysterious announcement" made by the
Prime Minister to the meeting of Liberal members at
the Foreizn Office, asked whether it was the inten-
tion of the Government, if the Governmment of
Ireland Bill were read a second time, to proceed
with the further stages at an autumn sitting, or
to recommend an early prorogation of Parliament,
and to reintroduce the Bill as a new measure in the
autumn session.

Mr. Gladstone repeated his statement that the
Governme,nt were inclined to prefer the latter method
of proceeding, but declined to ma': e a more positive
announcement at that moment, as there were certain
references to be made elsewhere before he could do so

Sir M. H. Beach, regarding this answer as unsatis-
factory, moved the adjournment, of the House. Re-
minding the House that throughout the whole of the
discussion on the bill the Government had put promi.
nently forward the extreme urgency of the question
for the restoration of social order in Ireland, he asked
why it was that the measure was now either to be with-
drawn or postponed to an indefinite period. They were
asked b vote not on the second reading of a definite
plan, but on some vague principle of autonomy for
Ireland which nobody could explain or define. This
course, which he characterised as trifling with the
House and with the first duty incumbent upon a
Government—viz., the maintenance of social order—
was to be followed in order that the present Govern-
ment might continue in office without the power to
carry out the policy which they had propounded. In
order that the House might be able to mark its FeaFe of
the policy which the Government had adapted, and to
extract something like a real definition from the Prime
Minister of what that policy was, he moved the ad-
journment.
Mr. Gladstone declined to discuss the right hon
gentleman's imputation of motive for the course taken
by the Government. While admitting the urgency of
the bill in relation to social order in Ireland, he observed
that social order was about the same as it was last
autumn, when it was contemplated with complacency
by the members of the late Government. With re-
gard to the question of time, the Government believed
it was the best policy, with a view to attaining with
the greatest speed the goal they hoped to reach, not to
force forrard the bill when they could not, with reason-
able discussion, pass it through its stages within the
period which physical as well as social necessities ha-
posed upon the House as the annual limit of its arduous
labours. Moreover, they did not wish to expose the
measure to the risk of being thrown out by the House
of Lords on the ground that it was sent up at a period
when there was not sufficient time for its consideration.
The object of the Government was to keep the issue
which they had raised clear before the nation, and they
were exercising their best judgment as to the most
effectual means of prosecuting this great subject to its
final consummation. The issue placed before the
House was not an abstract resolution, for by voting for
the second reading of the bill the House would Rive a
solemn pledge to the Irish people not only that in its
opinion a legislative body for the management of Irish
affairs ought to be established, but also that it was its
intention at the first available moment to set about
establishing it. He declined to accept the advice el
the Opposition as to the tactics which the Government
should pursue for attaining their olaect, and expressed
a doubt whether if a great error of tactics had been
made by the Government, the motion would over have
been brought forward.
Lord R. Churchill said the motion had been made
for the purpose of inquiring as to the nature of the pro-
cedure which the Government proposed to adopt with
regard to the future proceedings on their bill. The
Prime Minister was speaking with two voices in this
matter, telliez the-Irish members that his bill was not
to be reconstructed, and at the same time telling the
Liberals that it would be reconstructed. His tactics
were directed to confusing the House, and leading it on
step by step without showing it where it was being led
to. lithe bill was to be suspended and proceeded with
in the autumn, the chances of these who wished to have
it reconstructed would become practically nil. If, on
the other hand, it was withdrawn and reintroduced as
a new measure every member would be perfectly free.
He complained that the House was being " jockeyed"
in order that an appeal to the constituencies might be
avoided, and declared that it could not go to a decision
on the second reading of the bill unless the Government
clearly announced what course they would pursue if
the second reading was agreed to.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer thought the
wisdom of the policy of the Government was confirmed
by the extraordinary disappointment evinced by the
Opposition leaders, and on behalf of the Government
he declined to be guided by the advice or influenced by
the taun's of Lord R. Churchill.

Tim btaLquie of Unstingkou maintained aim the
motion was justified for the purpose of ascertaining
what course the Government intended to take. Being
reminded by the Prime Minister that it had already
been stated that the Government preferred the alterna•
tive of an early prorogation, but that a reference to
her Majesty was necessary, the noble lord insisted that
in that case the House was being invited to take an
absolutely unprecedented course in voting upon a bill
which was practically dead.
Mr. T. P. O'Connor retorted that the chagrin of the
opponents of the bill showed that it was far too much
alive to please them. Their present action was adopted
for the purpcse of disturbing and distracting the public
mind and of preventing the reunion of the Liberal
party in sending a message of peace to reland.
After a few words from Mr. Raikes, Lord John
Manners observed that the motion had served its pur-
pose in eliciting the statement which the Prime
Minister had made to Lord Hartington. Sir M. Hicks
Beach asked leave to withdraw the motion, but the Irish
Nationalist members challenged a division, and the
motion was negatived by 405 to 1.

THE BOMB RULE DEBATE.
The adjourned debate on the second reading of the
Government of Ireland Bill was then resumed by Mr.
Rigby, who supported the bill, and argued that it
would not impair the unity or the supremacy of Par-
liament. Mr. Atherley Jones, Sir T. D. Acland, and Sir
T. Esmonde also spoke in favour of the bill, while Mr.
E. W. Denison and Mr. Hayes Fisher opposed it.
Sir R. Webster attributed the promised withdrawal of
the bill after it had been read a second time to the
knowledge on the part of the Government that other-
wise a defeat 'would be inevitable. He unhesitatingly
declared that if the measure passed in its present
shape, or in the amended shape indicated by the Prime
Minister, the authority of the Imperial Parliament and
its supremacy would be most seriously impaired.
On the motion of Mr. H. Fowler the debate was again
adjourned.
The Arms (Ireland) Bill was subsequzntly read a
third time by 156 to 65.
The House adjourned at twenty minutes past one
o'clock.