The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-03-23
The Disturbance at the Time Brad
laugh Took the Oath.


tn. following details are published con-
cerning the late Bradlaugh incident in the
British House of Commons:
While the result Of the division on Mr.
Labouchere's motion was being made known
Mr.. Bradlaugh rose from the seat which he
occupied on the cross bench below the bar
and advanced rapidly to the table. In mo
ment all eyes we're turned upon him. The
house, taken completely by surprise, expected
that he would address them. Instead, he
dipped his right hand suddenly into the left
breast pocket of his frock coat, pulled out
small, dark, Shiny octave volume, with red
edges, which he transferred to his disengaged
hand, made a second dive and brought forth
piece of paper made a third dive and drew
from his waistcoat pocket a stump of pencil,
aud amid exclamations of astonishment, not
unmingled with groans Of derision, '.gabbledn
through form of words, inaudible above the
Gin Of dissent, kissed the little book tossed it
behind the crown of the mace and held up the
piece of paper in the direction of the chair,
at the same time calling out, in excited
though triumphant voice: u tender that
| as the oath, which 1 have taken accord
| ing to law" and just as the clerk reached
the corner where he stood deposited it beside
the book There were some manifestations
of contempt and aversion, but the prevailing
sentiment seemed to be one of unbridled
mirth. The very daring of the act evoked
peal upon peal of laughter. Then the Speak
er arose in his place and called upon Mr.
Bradaugh to withdraw below the bar
Nothing Ioath, that person only stayed to re-
mark that he would obey, but that, having
taken the oath, he would now take his seat.
| Thereupon he backed toward the door,
| bowed low to the Chair, and presently facing
about ran up the steps of the gangway
which divides that part of the chamber from
the cross-benches, and dropped into vacant
| seat within the body of the House. Cries of
| g Order! order!" rose from the opposition,
but the Government and their supporters
remained imperturbable. Mr.. Speaker, how
| ever, was not to be tri1ed with. 1.-THE hon
orable member" said Sir Henry Brand, in
accents of offended authority, "has not car
| ried out my instruct ons, which were that he
should withdraw below the bar"
| Mr.. Bradlaugh, no longer disconnected, re
piled, as it seemed somewhat rudely: g 1 did
obey your instructions and went below the
| bar, and have now taken my seat in pursuance
| of law, having taken the oath prescribed by
/ law" Supported by shouts of Shame
| Shamer' the Speaker as instantly resented
| the unaccustomed rudeness, and insisted that
| Mr.. Brad1augh should go below the bar and
| remain there, which he accordingly did. On
a question of privilege Lord Randolph
Churchill, asked the House to affirm that the
seat for Northampton was vacant, as if Mr..
| BradIaugh C were dead. :" Sir Henry James,
on the other hand, suggested more cautious
| procedure. As the case now stood it should
he thought, be settled in a court of law, an
| opinion in which Mr.. Laboachere fully con-
CURED. Not so Lord Randolph Churchill
| How, he inquired, were they to know that
| Mr.. Bradiaughs book was a New Testa-
ment and not copy of the ''Fruits of Phi
| losophy!" 1t was insanity on his part to
/ suppose that such a pretense of complying
| with most sacred and solemn form would
| be accepted in that place. 1t was deliberate
insult to the House. Matters had by this
| time come to such pass that Mr.. Gladstone
| found it advisable to interpose. He suggested
that the question was one for calm delibera-
/ tion and unimpassioned discussion and pro-
posed the adjournment of the debate. DIR.
Lyons reiterated the charge of scandal and
outrage, and proposed as an amendment to
the Premier's motion: "That Charles Brad
laugh in rendering himself to take an oath
which he declared to have no binding effect
upon his conscience, is guilty of profana-
tion, that he hereby is declared incapable Of
sitting in this Parliament, and that he be
forthwith discharged from further attend
| ance." Between the making of DR.. Lyon
motion and the temperate speech of Sir Stat
ford Northcote, counseling moderation and
calling on the Government to take some step
TO vindicate the "outrage inflicted on the
dignity of the House, Lord Randolph
| Churchill walked up to the table, whence he
removed the piece Of paper from which Mr..
| Bradlaugh had read the words of the oath.
Returning to his place he examined the dOcu-
ment, and afterwarj it was passed from hand
to hand for inspection until it reached Mr..
James Lowther, who flung it back upon the
| table. Meanwhile Mr.. Gladstone took pos
session of Mr. Bradlaugh's little book, which
proved to be not what the member from
Woodstock had suggested, but copy of the
'ReVised Version" In spite of Mr.. O'Don-
nells counsel that neither 1.-THE book'' nor
''the piece of paper' should be taken pos
session of by the responsible officers of the
| House, lest some further legal quib BILE should
arise, Mr.. Bradlaugh's Revised Version" did
as matter of fact, mysteriously disappear
from it's cons picuous position near the mace
| The motion for the adjournment of the de-
bate was agreed to, and the incident ter
minated.