River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-07-13
SCENES IN THE COMMONS
Sixteen Irish Members Driven
From the Floor.
A Memorable Session of Parliament,
and Great Excitement.

LONDON, July 6.-Mr. Parnell and
fifteen of his followers in opposi-
ton to the Repression of Crime in
Ireland" bill were elected from the
house of commons this morning after
an all night session of the most bitter
parliamentary warfare. The govern
ment yesterday afternoon gave notice
OF its intention to urge forward, by all
the means in its power, the adoption of
the remaining clauses of the bill For
the Repression of Crime in Ireland, "
and solicited the cooperation OF all the
friends of what is termed good order in
Ireland. In the presentation of the
governments case, although nothing
was directly said about the jeopardy
threatening British interests in other
parts of the world, hints were occasion
ally dropped concerning these interests
in such an ingenious and significant
way as to thoroughly arouse the pas
sions OF the English members, and to
array them solidly and unreasonably
on the side of the government.
Without direct mention, the agita-
ton of the Irish cause among Irishmen
in America, and their ready and gen.
erous response in furnishing ample
means for persistent obstruction to the
governments intentions, was suggested
with great effect upon the English
members. When it was apparent that
a solid and quickly responsive vote had
been secured for the governments mo-
tions, the government announces that
final action on the repression bill was
deemed so urgent that it would continue
the session all night, all day to-day and
until it should be necessary to tempo
rarily suspend at the beginning of Sun
day, and resume again at the first hour
on Monday, holding continuous SEES
sion thereafter until final action was Sc
cured on the bill. In order to maintain
this continuous session it would ar
range its supporters in suitable relays.
Mr.. Parnell minated that no threats
of such action on the part of the gov
ernment would alter in any respect the
determination Of the Irish members to
remain at their posts and do their
whole duty toward Ireland. The house
then took up the seventeenth clause Of
the repression bill. This clause gives
the definition of the word "district,"
and prescribes the arrangement, selec-
ton and pay OF the constabulary.
The struggle between the govern
ment majority and the stubborn Irish
minority, held as a unit by patriotic
hopes and led by perhaps the most
sagacious and far sighted management
ever exhibited in an English parlia-
ment, began. The struggle was not
allowed to lapse for single moment,
but was as continuous as it was bitter
during the entire night. Gladstone re-
manned in his seat all the night and
personally conducted the governments
movements. harrington also remained
in his place. The Parnellites pressed
innumerabla amendments in such per-
tinacious ingenuity, that were not loss
of temper loss of battle, long before
midnight the English members would
have lost their heads. The struggle OF
the minority was so exasperating to
the extreme tories and evidently SO
depressing to the premier that at last
even Sir Stafford Northcote put aside
his differences and openly went to
Gladstone's support.
The Irish members, nothing discon-
certed by even the attitude and threats
of Sir Stafford Ncrthcote, continued
quietly their obstruction. At 9 O'Clock
in the morning the government had
made no progress worth recording, and
its leaders, particularly Mr.. Gladstone
were tired out. At that hour Sir Will
lam Harcourt arose and denounced the
Irish members in such vehement, in.
sulting way as to draw from Mr.. Par.
nell very bitter reply to some of his
| misrepresentation The chairman
seized his opportunity, the first even
his watchful Ingenuity had been able tC
| discover during the entire session. He
found in Mr.. Farnell's tone and in some
of his language an excuse, under 8
strained construction, to name" him
and fifteen OF his followers.
The sagacity of the chairman was re-
warded with cheers from the govern
ment side, and action against the nam
ed members was precipitated. They
were at once suspended and subse
quently, by a vote of 126 to q, ordered
to withdraw The suspended mem
bers, after this vote, arose and left the
house in body.
The members suspended from the
house of commons were Messrs. Big
gar, Collin, Commins. Dillon. Healy
Leamy, Mccarthy, Marum, Metge, L
P. O'Connor, ODonnell, Parnell, Power
Redmond, Sexton and Sullivan. Dur.
ing the night Mr. Dillon defed the gov
eminent to levy blood tax from pool
tenants without provoking renewal o.
the disorders which attended the 1.-THE
war. This is asample of the discussion
| throughout the nj ght.