The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-06-17
THE OTHER SIDE.
Bradiaugh's Appeal From Parliament to the
People. .-a=a

Bradiaugh's Appeal From Parliament to the
People. r
appeal from the Parliament of Great Brit
ain and Ireland to the people from whom
alone that Parliament derives its power. l
have only this appeal possible there Is no
remedy In the law courts against the House
of Commons If that House should do injus-
tlce.' / am a duly elected member of the
House of Commons. There is no petition
against my return; not the slightest allega-
ton of legal disqualification has been at
tempted. / have been illegally, and In a
manner without precedent in history, pre-
vented by the Conservative party from ta-
king my seat, and this under cover of res
olution which the House had no authority
whatever to pronounce. In order to induce
some members who were not Conservatives
to support Sir Stafford Northcote in his ut
terry illegal opposition to myself, and in or
der also to induce other members to abstain
from supporting the law, 1t was pretended
that the objection was only that the Con-
servat.7es desired to prevent the oath from
being profaned. This declaration hardly
came' with a good grace from those who
among them have put forward common in
former to prosecute me for heavy penalties
for not having taken the oath last year. This
session Mr.. Gorst had personally admitted
being in direct and actual communication
with the common informer plaintiff. The
private solicitor of Mr.. Newdegate conducts
the suit for the common informer, and Sir
FL. GifIard, who moved the resolution last
year preventing me from taking the oath,
thinks II ali act worthy Christian gentleman
to earn fee by pleading against me in the
penalty suit for not having taken that oath.
When Sir Stafford Northcote, with the help
of two hundred and nine other members,
had succeeded In breaking the law by pre-
venting me from taking the oath, he sug-
gested that / should, having made my claim,
wait until some legislation was undertaken.
Now that legislation is proposed, 1t turns out
that every means ard excuse of delay is to
be resorted to. 1t Is not the form of admis-
sion; 1t is the man to whom the Tories OBJ
ject. As powerful section of the House
illegally shut out John Wilkes one hundred
and ten years ago, so powerful section of
the House tries to exclude me to-day. John
Wilkes had private fortune he had rich and
titled friends. l have no fortune and my
friends are among the poor.
appeal to the people for justice. To-day
the Tories seek to exclude me; tomorrow
they may seek to exclude some other chosen
representative Of the people. My opinions
are, 1t Is said, obnoxious to these men ; but
my opinions were for my constituents alone
to Judge; and, despite the grossest misrep-
elected me. am their choice, and their
lawful and unimpeached return should have
lawful protection. The House of Commons
has owe ridden the law and now turnto the
trusts there will be no repetition of scandal
ous scenes. IL was, indeed, scandalous
scene when prejudice set aside all law and
members trampled ON the statute book. The
--~--s-a Is not caused uy the man who tries
to obey the law, but by those who prevent
him from obeying it. As there Is no legal
justification for keeping me out of the House,
my unscrupulous antagonists have endeav-
ored to incite religious, political and social
prejudices against me, and the endeavor is
especially made by some men whose cham
pionship of any cause would do sore damage
to 1t. II is said am "Atheist, Republican
and Malthusian." / answer that / am
law abiding Englishman; that whatever
views have are mine, and that 1t Is to the
law alone have to answer for them. If
those who now rely on the force of numbers
inside the House to illegally put me down
because of my opinions could but think they
would see the dangero us justification against
themselves for any other outside with the
force of numbers behind him. If once the
law is disregarded it is only force can decide.
/ desire to maintain the law the House of
Commons has broken that law, and appeal
to the people. My antagonists harass me
with lawsuits: they assail me with calumny;
they boast that they will drive me into the
Bankruptcy Court by ruinous litigation. /
appeal to the people. The government of
Mr.. Gladstone has taken step to afford le-
gal remedy against a continuance of this
wrong to myself and to my constituents.
Sir Stafford Northcote and Sir Randolph
Churchill, the first representing the property
and the second the piety of the Tory party,
hinder even the discussion of this remedy
with petty obstruction aud paltry objection.
appeal to the people. The Conservatives
really wish, under cover of my case, to jeop-
ardize The Irish Land Bill and to delay the
business of the country. ask the people to
speak out clearly, distinctly, thoroughly and
at once on this issue.
CHARLES BRADLAUGH.