New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-10

In my fayoritc Irish newspaper passase .
...,dea lite sbriek OF triumph over the mischet
,rhiob Messrs. Parnell a. Co. have IN spite Oh AZ
hipdrances. succeeded in effectipg' Az an
events cries this writer. . two months impfison-
,nent has been saved to many man Dy the ao'ion
~ Abe Irish members" If bill for the Detter to
nressiop OF highway robbery were before the Legs
Iatpre and If the highway robbers had forty repre-
.an.atyes in the House, and the forty had stood 1or
80 months in the way of tyrannical legislation
ganst their interesting clients the forty would 90
entitled to raise similar cry OF eKultation' DuV
minoritIes who favor robbery, whether on tne
highway or out of landlords pockets. and VINO de-
fend the sacred right Of outrage and lntimldatlon
and murder must sooner or later give way Delore
the majority which upholds the law lhat 10
what has now happened Our Irish friend adds
remark upon the immense influence exerciseu HI
over the world by the efforts OF the courageous
minority of Irish members and their Engllsn
friends" This remark is true. but IN sense
different FROM that which he INTENDED. Ihere can
be NO doubt that Mr.. Parnelis policy has ended by
slienatinc the sympathies of such portions OF the
world as had any to bestow on him; English Radl-
Gals included An exception may be made IN
favor of French Communists and Of Irish American
maiorites in sundry legislative parishes OF the
United States.
The means By which the Protection bill has boon
piloted through its most perilous stage ale sunpie
enough. People who are accustomed to the hVe
miputes' rule and other familiar methods OF expe-
ditinp buaness in Committee of the Whole House
nj Washington and elsewhere, may well wonder
that Committee here should be such formidable
matter. The difficulty in the case arises however
from an essentially different theory OF Legislation
The House of Commons. to begin with, has notning
which answers to those Standing Committees which
.foft aUia
smerca. There Is no Standing Committee OF Ways
and Means. or Appropriations or Judiciary. The
theory of procedure here is simple one, and as
embarrassing as it is simple; viz. that when Dill
has once been introduced into the House. the House
never parts with its control that bill The re-
sult is that all the rough work. so to speak. OF
which with Us great part is done in permanent
committee of half q dozen or dozen members
sitting in private is done here in the whole House.
To facilitate this process, ordinary legislative re-
strictions are relaxed when the House is IN Com
rnittee In the House a member can speak but
once on the same motion. In committee No may
speak as often as he likes. Many other formahueS
are waived, and they were waived with advantage
80 long as the unwritten law prevailed by which
members felt themselves bound to use these priv
lepes only within the limits to use MIR. Gladstones
phfase. of reason and usage. When however OBJ
struction was organized into system, Committee
offered to the obstructiOnsts their best opportunity
and they awaited themselves of it without stint or
scruple.
This sketch will have made clear, hope. the
necessity imposed on the Speaker and the majority
of the House Of extending to Committee the rules
previously laid down for expeditng business which
O majority of three TO one should have declared
urgent This the Speaker did on Thursday last IN
the case of the Protection bill. but not without
thnf n
Ininor,ties were again being intrigued. What he
proposed was that at fixed hour, upon motion
preceded by notice. and upon vote OF three to one,
proceedings in Committee should be terminated,
and the bill be reported back to the House. state
che rule in general terms emitting minor points. 1t
was objected that this rule cuts of all pending
amendments which at the hour specified might not
have been voted upon. Sir Stafford KOrthcote,
under pressure from his supporters developed
considerable degree of nervousness. The Fourth
party LORD Randolph Churchill leading that for
midable body, revolted outright. meeting OF the
Opposition was called at the Carlton Club. LORD
Beacons6eld's counsel was taken. The two Liberal
organs OF the metropolis. morning and evening. gave
vent to their susoeptibilties with their customary
exaaceration. To all these guardians OF public
law IL seemed fearful thing that the House
shuld be deprived of the chance of voting on each
ons of the ffty-seven or one hundred and nifty
seven amendments which might remain on the
paper; and then distress was increased by the pro-
vision that previous debate. after the declaration
of urgoncy was to be confined to the proposer OF
the amendment and TO one other member.
For day the hopes Of the Irish ran high. They
went about shouting that obstruction was TO
triumph after all that the tyranny OF the Speaker
was to be put down, and that the House would no
longer endure that it's chief officer should be the
chnNvn in
matter their usual good sense and accurate judy
ment of affairs. A conference was held. 1t was
found that Sir Stafford Northcotss scrupes did not
90 beyond details, and that Lord Beaconsield was
not of opinion that the moment had vet come when
the interests of the Tory party would be promoted
by a coalition with Dir. Parnell. compromise
was agreed on In ten minutes. The speaker lald
before the House modification of the new rules
The limitation upon debate to two members was
Withdrawn. With reference to amendments 1t was
proyided that when the hour came for closing dis
cussion and reporting the bill, vote should he
taken upon each amendment then pending without
debate. To this Sir Stafford Northcote agreed.
Still the Irish were not convinced They thought
they saw loophOe in the modified rules Upon each
amendment they could take division. The process
oftakng division occupies, on an average, twenty
minutes, BY putting down on the paper great
number OF amendments it was still possible, they
argued to waste another day or two But their cal
culatons wore upset by two things First, the hour
at which the Speaker announced the new rules lett
them little time to concert new amendments suifi-
ccntly specious in form to get themselves put on
the paper at all. They had already found out that
mere strings Of words would not answer.
Secondly, Dr. Playfair, the Chairman OF Commit
Zee, whose backbone had been good deal stihened
by free criticism, had already ruled not only
amsndmeuts but whole groups OF amendments out
of order And to the dlsmay OF the obstruc-
tionists, when the hands pointed to midnight on
Monday, he summsrily swept out of existence all
that were left; and with them went all hopes OF
further obstruction in Committee. Technically and