New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-14

nearly empty, began TO DILL MI oiau' ~
MIR. Forster. Mr. Bright and a doze~ more members
Of the Government. focked In one after another'
THEW clearly did not come to listen to the drowsS
elooueuce of Mr.. Arthur OConnor. The I'eputy-
Sneaker DR. Playfair, who bad been on duty since
~ the morning, quilted his place. Not many MIN
ntes later appeared Mr.. Brand, in that panoply OF
night robe the want Of which seems to lessen MI
Playfar's courage and to increase that OF the rlsn'
men who defy him. No sooner had he taken HIS
seat than Mr.. Parnell rose,
Mr.. Parpeps visit to America has made his ap-
pearance familiar, no doubt. to porIoh OF Ihe
Americans, and to still greater portion OF Tue
Irish American public. Here lie may De supposed W
he even better known yet there is no man about
whom curiosity is more keen or more constant
don't think ever went INTO the gallery that was
not asked by some neighbOr If could
pont out Mr.. Pamell. He, like Mr. Brad
laugh. is not the same man On the
platform and in the Honse. The place to look Tor
him Is near the upper end of the third bench below
the gangway on the Opposition side. whether nc
be in his seat or not the seat and the seats near ny
and the floor are covered with books and papers
IL the sat be filed, you see well-bullt young Iei
low, slight bnt strong in brown jacket anu waist
coat and trousers; very smarty cut as 10 ralSe
the question whether this Irish patriot may hot EN-
Dloy an English tailor He has portfolio on Dis
contents of the page before him. You might say he
took little interest in what is going on;
that he was the literary member OF that heterO-
QeneOus band of Irish members, among
whom nearly every trade and business anu
profession are represented. Now and then he en-
courages one of his followers by " Hear, Hear;
vet the cry is mechanical, and over the "ei-cu1
features of the revolutionary leader passes as MS
Inns omen an expression of cold contempt for the in
g tI,a mon ha ia a.
Mr.. Parnell, if 1t may be said without offence is
gentleman by birth and breeding, and there are not
a few of his present associates who could defend
themselves successfully against any accusation or
that sort; whose appearance in the dock would OF
itself be a sufficient defence. and whose first spoken
word would secure an unanimous aequittal at the
hands Of any competent jury Mr. Parne'l GER
tainly cannot take pleasure in the companonship
circumstances have forced upon him; but Ike knows
that n leader must work with such tools as come
20 his hand, and he shows no signs OF squeanlsh-
ness.
There is not the hurry of manner in his rising
He waits till the Speaker is well seated, then he de-
Iiberateiy laws down his PORTFOLIO and manuscript,
and pencil. and lounges up from his seat 70 ms egs
with careless elegance that seems NOT stu9Su ouf
the House. When up he shows Just as litte preclpl-
tation of manner as before. He waits with com
%S snrS r of talk elsewhere ey in the House have died
away. There is not in his manner the least tOucn Oh
nervousness. Watch him as narrowly as YOU IKE,
voice from the frat word is just as even as
III he was talking about the weather. He does not
raise it, nor vary his tOne nor resort to any art OF
oratory whatever unless 1t be art to dlsdaln all
arts In truth, for ordinary purposes, no tone IS so
effective with the House as the tone OF conversations
Yet Mr. Parnell is about to try an EXPERIMENT when,
should II succeed would give him an easy Victory ID
the tremendous struggle II Which he mas e f tSo
Information of the House. one of the standing or
ders OF the House which he prefaces with the re-
mark thar the question Of oraer 10 won nc a ,hs
chair-a sufficiently startling statement. Inc ORDER
npOn which he bases this challenge p PROVIDES,
in substance, that upon the Speaker quitting
the chair the chairman OF Ways and Means
shall he Deputy Speaker and that he
shs s@eeSe Of off that tnS NV Contention
therefore" says placid MIR. Parne In his poilt~st
manner " that the Deputy Speaker having taken
the whole of the remainder of the sitting and until
the adjournment of the House 4; and that y0u Mr
spsSSGeI Win tS S ooTnS dead Silence
fell upon the House as Mr.. Parnell sat down.
Everybody saw his point. II lie were fignt; the
sitting must come to au end long before the man
question could be put. it would no longer Dc con
Test of endurance between majority OF ooO an "a
minority of forty, but between the forty ana Dr
,PIayfair; in which Dr. Playfair would speedily
THE SPEAKER DECIDES
As Mr. Parnell took his seat an Irish colleague
Jumped up to second him. but before he could get
angry roar of "order" from all the House sent
the Ir1shluan back to his bench again. The Speaker
was rs q ,iet as Mr. Parnell. He is always quiet,
and particularly quiet when he sits upon an offender,
Or asserts his authority against cavi lie did not
lone leave Mr. Parnel doubt as to the success OF
hismaAGuvre. The order III question, he SAID, was
An enabling order 1t did not in any sense limit the
power of the Speaker, which was derived from
ptber sources. Its sole object was to confer
rorflN-
. substitute, but it in way restricted
The right of the Speaker TO resume his duties when
the reason for resigning them into other hands was
nj an end And In any CASE added Mr.. Brand with
An infection of unwOnted severity iii bis snooth
voice in the present circumstances OF the
House the order and the objection are alike
lnannhcable A burst of cheers answered
him and Mr. Parnell knew that his
,cheme had failed. The Speaker might have
added remark of still more decisive character
His authority is not derived from nor defined by
any order, OF rule, or law. or written enact
ment OF any kind whatever. 1t de-
riyes wholly from tradition and custom
II depends upon the unwrtten law of the House,
which until these evil days has been not less power
ful. and not less implicitly and hOnorably Obeyed
than the written law. The House has always had
Speaker and has paid him kind OF obedience,
varying at various times, but undoubtedly more
complete during the last century than before. AND
his authority is likely soon to be OF much greater
extent than heretofore.
Not long after this episode Mr.. Bradlaugh unex-
pected!y interviewed rising from the middle OF the
third bench below the Liberal gangway. 1t was
30 much of q surprise that anybody from that
quarter should take part III the debate that the
House again woke up from its lstlessness. MIR.
Parnel stopped taking notes and looked across the
House TO see what coming Mr.. Gladstone
turned half round and fixed an attentive gaze on
The beloved of the Northampton sh0emakers. Mr.