New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-21
THE PARLIAMENTARY STRUGGLE.


| CONDITION or THE HOUSE OF COMMoNs-THE
NEw RULES AND THEIR PRACTICAL APPLICANT
lFRoN TITE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE ]
| LONDON, Feb. S.-A few minutes after the scene
described in my last letter, passed through the
lobby and met Mr.. Parnell and Mr.. Justin McCar-
thy. With bent heads and trailing step they paced
| the precincts Of the chamber from which they had
| just been expelled. Mr.. Parnell has never O rubi-
cund visaGe, but his face at that moment was
| gjastly white. Mr.. Mccarthy had the air of man
who Is passing through disaGreeable dream. Three
hours before. Mr. Parnell had been a formidable fig
ure IN the House leader of q party fierce though
few, and with reputation for mschieyoU9 ingenu-
ty IN the tactics Of faction to which nobody else
| had attained. One hour Of headlong passion had
| overthrown him, bad undone the work of
weeks, had destroyed his power for evil, and
| had delivered him over bound hand and foot
TO his enemies; TO the rncmies that s of disorder
and obstruction. Too late he had seen his error.
aud the depression of defeat and dlscredt was
stamped upon his features. II was almost pitful
| sight. One might have had some sympathy for the
mau if it had been possible to forget how miserably
he had used his opportunities aud to what poor
purposes he had perverted his capacity. II ever
there case of political suicide, it was his. By
one means or another he had coutrived to make
himself all but master of the House. The sudden
ness with which the hollowness of his apparent
triumph was revealed was dramatic to everybody
else TO him it was simply crushing.
In the House itself. meantime, Mr.. Gladstone in a
speech of power and pathos, explaining
the new order he proposed for dealing with OBJ
sructiou. Some OF the papers describe the House as
listening to this proposal and then debating the new
order with singular colmness. don't think that is
an accurate description. sat through the whole of
the debate. which. with the two divisions taken.
lasted till o'clock next morning. / thought l had
never seen the House more deeply moved. IL was
not what is commonly called excitement. Men
knew perfectly weu what they were about. There
was nothing in the state of feeling that existed to
disturb any mans Judgment. But the occasion
far too mOmentous for mere calmneSs. suppose the
best general aud the best troops at the crisis of
great battle are not by any means calm. There is
none of that placi lity of intellect or temper
which is appropriate TO commonplace events.
There was something much better than
that-the cool, clearsighted resolute frmness
Of mind which is called into play by great causes;
when the mind is at ITS best aud under the stress
of an exceptional demand upon its faculties works
at high pressure with the greatest precision aud
force. The intense excitement of the protracted
scene resulting in the suspension of the Parnelltes
had strung mems nerves but had in wise impaired
their Judgment The House felt that the hour had
come; and with it-whch by means always hap
pens, Notwithstanding Mlcaulay's dctum-the man.
Mr. Gladstoue's abilities, his gifts and genius for
ruling had perhaps been more sharply tested
than during the long struggle which had reached
its climax this evening And he never vindicated
more splendidlJ the confidence which mis- country
men had bestowed on him-aever rose more securely
to the height Of the great argument lie had TO sus-
tain.
For undoubtedly, in sense Of the word, it was
a revolution which was in progress 1t not an
ordinary revolution. 1t was q struggle by the
deposiaries OF the great traditions of the past to
Justify them against q pefdouS minority which |
wanted to substitute, not new order OF things in
place of the old, but anarchy in place of order |
Something has been said about the possibility or
prOpriety Of greater patience being shown. For my
part, having, If may say so, some experience OF
legislative proceedings in the four leading countries
of the world, confess that stand amazed at the |
patience shown by the House of Commons |
in dealing with those who openly |
sought to destroy its efficiency and dignity |
as legislative body. am hardly less amazed at |
hc moderation of the remedy at last applied, which
passes for revolutionary. Under the timd leader
ship of Sir Stafford NOrthcote, the House had borne
for two three sessions with obstruction and had
timidly tried one or two weak paliatyes. Mr.. Glad
crushed it, He has, beyond doubt, proposed meas
ure which restricts at certain times. not the lber-
ties but the license of minortes which effects,
or more accurately speaking. recognizes resolution
in tho procedure of the House. But, IN the first
place. this restriction Is not continuous. Neitherthc
previous question as We know it, nor tho ctotWe
which the French practice has been adopted 10 nave
ADOPTED either would have been to put lb the hahuS
Of the majority OF the House for the time Oeing ana
for constant use upon oil sorts of questions. the
power Of suppressing debate whenever the majority
either desired no dcblte, or thought debate had
lasted long enough. The adoption of either, must
NV. would not have gone beyond the necessities OF
the situation. which has undergone enange tnat
sooner or later will compel the adoption OF one or
the other. Mfr. Cowen, to whom one does not often
70 for clear views of facts, whose passionate eo-
1ucnce moro often obscures than enlightens the
Judgment of his bearers-stated part OF the case
tuly on Thursday night. Time was. he said. when
be House was club; recruited at
VARYING in its composition, but always
drawing its members from the same classes OIL soci-
,tv. from men on whom an unwritten code was as
binding as q written law who could be trusted to
,bserye the traditions and etiquette which pre-
voiled in an assembly of gentlemen just as they
,bseryed the etiquette which governs social inter-
,ourse With tho enlargement Of the franchise that
,tate of things has passed away He might have
added that. with the accession of a body OF Irish
members seeking to effect revolution under cover
of forms devised for averting revolution. the old
Drder became impossible. With or without
them. there has been an upheayal of what N.
aambetta called the new social strata, and new
classes of members knowing little and caring less