The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-03-18
How Bradlangh Took the Oath.

The following details are puhiishcd con.
corning the late Bradlaugh incident in the
British House Of Commons;
While the result Of the division on Mr..
Laboucherc's motion was being made known
Mr. Brldlmgh rose from toe seat whca he
occupied on the cross-helch below tn, bar
and advanced rapidly to the table. In mo-
ment all eyes were turned upon him The
house, taken com lctcy by surprise, expected
that he would address them. Instead lie
dipped his right hand su Ideally into the left
breast pocket of his frock coat, pulled out a
small, dark, shay octave volume, with red
edges, which he trans erred to his disc gagged
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 ordinations of astonishmcnt. not
unminglcd with groaus of dersion, 'gabbed"
through a form Of words, inaudible above the
din 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 ealing out, in an excited
though triumphant voice; II tender that
as the oath, which l 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 unbndled
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 loath, 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 crossbenches, and dropped into vacant
seat within the body of the House. Cries of
Order order!n rose from the opposition,
but the Government and their supporters
remained imperturbabe. Mr.. Speaker how
ever, was not to be trfed with "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: :" l 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 "Shamel
Shamen' the Speaker as instantly resented
the unaccustomed rudeness, and insisted that
Mr.. Bradlaugh should go below the bar and
remain there, which he accordingly did. On
question of privilege Lord Randolph
Churchill, asked the House to affirm that the
seat for Northampton was vacant, as if Mr..
Bradaugh "were deadn 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. Labouchere fully con
CURED. Not so Lord Randolph Churchill
How, he inquired, were they to know that
Mr. BradIaugh's book was a New Tesla
ment and not copy Of the Fruits of Phi
losophyf' 1t was insanity on his part to
suppose that such 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 1t advisable to nterpose. He suggested
that the question was one for calm delibera-
ton 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-
JlOn, tnat ne hereby Is declared Incapable of
sitting in this Parliament, and that he be
forthwith discharged from further attend
ance." Between the making of Dr. Lyons
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 afterward 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., Bradlaughs little book, which
proved to be not what the member from
Woodstock had suggested, but copy of the
Revised Version" In spite of Mr.. ODon-
nelrs counsel that neither 'the book nor
''the piece Of paIer' should be taken pos
session of by the responsible officers of the
House, lest some further legal bubble should
arise, Mr. Bradlaugh's Revised Version" did
as a matter of fact, mysteriously disappear
from its conspicuous position near the mace
The motion for the adjournment of the de-
bate was agreed to, and the incident ter
minated.