, 1879-08-20
IRISH OBSTRUCTIONISTS
Sketches Of the Msn WAC Worry the
House Of Comulons---Their Al
lies and Recruits.
Concessions Gained Through Their Policy
from Tho Tory Ministry--1fow Ire.
land Regards Their System.

question that the London 7in,<s prupnundca to /
tho English pconle about a month ago This |
Is remarkable 1ueston, and It gains tn s!9nitl- |
cauce from the fact that the entire press Of the
United Kingdom has for some weeks been de- |
voting mrc!l consideration to the possible fnllurc
Of thn most cherished OF British institutions.
Tic whnlc nation at present eontemplates with
anger and dIsnay tic shortcomings Of the
lloueo OF Commons, for It ~ from tic heart Of
that botly tint the trouble aflecs and The Tory
Ministers arc ut their Wits end to find some
means of overcoming perhaps the greatest do
nestle difficulty tint an English Ministry has
had to c.icountcr since the Constitution took ils
present 41.ape. The truth Ist that during thr
current srt.ton OF Parliament public business
has bcen almost at stautsti'l oil private bills
hnye had to he sncrnccd tomakc time for meas.
ures Of political urgency. "And yet" soys the
Times, "scascrly one In ten Of the Mfnistertal
measures has even chance Of life. and Il
sccms probable, from tlc Chancellor Of The
Exchcaucr's statement {madc couple nt
weeks arol TINT the Army Discipline bill,
II It passes In time, will be almost the
sole legislative fruit Of the session." Thts
docs not arise from any weakness Of tic Minis
iry. Their pnrty Ia strong In Parliament and
tic country, but tho wheels nf the parliament
nry machine arc desdtockcd. Thcro is a dlNl-
Guilty simply in clfcctiug tho mere mechanfca,
proccss OF carrying the measures through The
House OF Commons; and this difficulty. It Ia
almost needless to say. IL entirely the work o!
TN. little group Of Irish nr.nbcrs, who havo
earnrd for themselves the title Of "obssruc-
tipniats.n
When tie lltbusser'rg policy was lnuugurated.
a couple OF sessions ngu, lhr public ssnOd aghust
to see leaders of their Legislature haItcd and
thr work of the 1Iouse OF Comtnons DELAYED
At trfblR n
mrnbers, rho .eemcl to lacl illr ronadrnce
even ot the II ,me-Kuto body, to which thry
claimed to belong. AT that TING the obstruc-
tlnnst partr proper numbered onir four n,en.
But With that strength they Occupied wtOlc
heirs iu discussion usd "diyiled tic House II
hight after night, nnil often many times In
night, while hDur after hour wat spent 10 angry
anil futile discussions. Last rear the "nu['
honorei rules Of the llouse were altered, utd
arrangements Hpre nadu to restrain the
hlgnly-pslzcl liberty Of speech In ,i'auner ney-
er ocfore teard of. The obstruction was. how
Times. It has reached cltnnx Tie party now
controls almost Thirty yutes In the House Of
Commons, and. much to the:lseust OF a1l rigid
parliamcntardus. lluS nnosc than once nf lntc
DAYS found notable English members fighting III
its cause
THE LEADER or TIE PAnTT.
Notwithstlnd ng tho accession Of members
| and powcr to the ranks OF the Irish flibnsterH
| the same men who first conceived and carried
| out the system WHICH. to sav the lenst has
| proycd 80 vexntf0us 20 the twn Crcat parties
nrt, t.leir lcalcrs, hnve succ~rded In maintain
{ug their position ns the chief exponcnts Of thc
i policy That they hare invented. Mcssrs; Par.
ncll, Dig.ar. 0'Donnel1, md OConnor, Power
| the leading part in the fra:asscs which from
| time to time convert tho Lower House Into u
sort Of bear garden. They arc oil four remark.
ahlo men, gifted With wonderful conraEc and
| a.. ftr+$r Sut$ itLkf~ 1Irtr
gained n. present as much ,otoriety probably as
| any persons IN the Nrtsisn Emnre Charles Stew
art tarne1. III sonc res peets lie most prominent
! OF tho obstructionfsts, helonEs 10 = very good
cral generations identified with the Nationalist
| ca,se The Inns baatus With patriotic lt.ll
mcrltorioua poet OF the seventeenth century
Ills craidneptlcw, Str John Fcruell. Was the
head Of the latntly. living about tho end Of lht
last century, As,d lle was one ef the most bitter
opponents Of rho Act Of Union" Which fused
the Irish md English Parafatncnts into ono body
His son, Str John rarnell, also opposel this act
perial Legislature. a,ni there a!waye took d mos
liberal stand In thu discussion of Irish affairs
lie was d strenlous ndvocats Of Catholic et,'au
cipation. aud year after year presented IN
after lle emancipation party qunrreIed with III
distinguished Henry Grattan. This Farnell va
afterwards raised 10 the Pecraco under the ~!
Of Lord Congleton. nnd thc present head OF th
|
tI,e obstructIonist, IL also grant!aou at Adnlrs
Stcwnrt Of The American naryt who died aoou
tcn years auo, full OF years and o! honors ullcl
he "a ,crrd In the war Ut 1S1e. In TACT, It wa
cesses Of that war were obtained by u
lss brislse wera ' chiefly instrumental in gelsl''
the squadron sent to sea. Hn wss aleo the conl
with TINT vessel the sobrlquet Of !" Old l1ou
sitlcs." His daughter, Mrs. Farneli, uni I'll
Misses rarnela. At present I've at u!e SteWaE
homestead at Boricnta"n, y. !. Mr. q; !
parne|l'a residence ts AyDn1ale, County Wick
low. 1re!and, where lie owns a handsome prot
erty, lie also awns tactuFies In The BsEls eous
IT, lla Is ul,out % yeas aid, and Is toll hllgh!
aud !, is,ilsoiIlc, with fair complexion. Ite
remarkable far hlh wonderful cu0tness tn dt
bate, Ills perseverance, courage, mud energy: !
IVES OWING to bis remarkable possession Of ~
jast.natnctl uua!Ety thut tho election Of Mt
Flunegan was secured [n the recent Ennls els@
tion, which he nbta1nea At MaEdaleno College
Cambridge. lIo Rits In i'aritament fur Meat
County. remarkable feature M bis moth'
OF opposition Is that he never ,oses his tgmpe
his ntagon,sts. 1le Will delay tho House 70
hours over trlylul points; he will rise to spca
o., sone side issue time anu again; he will t1nv
au adjournment tel ttHes In an eycug, bu
remarks With few words Ut apparent concElii
tion uul depreciation.
Nil. rAHNEI.1's LIEuTENAHrs.
Second In importance tu MI Parnell atan1
| Mr., Francis O'Dnnneil. tho Vtce.PresdeDe All
Honorary Secretary OF tho l0me-itu.e Associ'
lion, llc ia ntiout 10 years oil. graduate
. tila Qupen's University of Ireland. nnl lncmpe
Tor 6uugnrya,. Jfe Is nat a man Ut p1opcrs
u,rl lives by his pen, t1ltlng ready market Il
Lis voil-.nforlnch ulm po!ulcdly written art
| eIes III the English rcytewB atll t1lngaz!tlcs. A
q lternr. l,,an no has acquired an unusual fun
Of knowledge concerning the Br!ish colonte
MD foreign affairs. aut by ne.na o! hts info
t nation on tlcsc subjects has been ablc to glv
| much trouble to The Ministry In The dlscusslo
:, 0! question: whcnou tie average member hart
i " trusts himself to sprak.. llo Las made ailt
seIi tnauv enemies III The House nv tic gcncra
cplltea.ptuous 1nsu1encs of Ills dcueanor. II
wears gtass, anl wncn ho rlsus 10 aulress tn
House stlrks It III Ills eye aud Gusts scornfu
: glance over tho T1rv beuehts. which IL Ia itss
aa insult to bis opponents all Tue more b!ttt
because II IL impossible fur them to RESET
ur even notica II. ho made hlmse
very unpopular With his oWu party K
q long tnu by taking tho side ot ~
; Ministers against Russia and the Slayons
municipalities that xcre struggling Tor libert
but lattersy hu has recovered ground, nna no
tyf) war IN With II