Morris tribune., 1885-03-04
THE BRITISH CRISIS.
GLADSTONE ESCAPES cENsuRE BY A
NARROW MAJORITY.
Repors That the "Grand Old Man" IL 90
the Point Of Resigning -Gordon's
Boast-Foreign Items
and Notes.

LONDON, March 2-The debate In the house
| OF commons on the vote Of censure on the
| government proposed by Sir Stafford North
| cote eliminated Friday night in scenes oi
| the greatest excitement The chamber was
| packed with members who could hardly find
seats. Each side had used its utmost en-
deavors to bring out its full force, and the
extraordinary number of 500 members
out of full list of $50 passed be-
tween the tellers when the vote was
called, which saved the Gladstone ministry
by mere shave. The atmosphere was
electric. The Conservatives could not re-
strain their enthusiasm. They felt sure that
the power they had lost in April, 1880, was
coming back to them again. They acted
like boys in their widest mood On the
government side the temper was decidedly
ugly. Mr.. Gladstone sat with his hat over
his eyes OH the first treasury bench as
the house filed up. The debate dragged.
Little attention was paid to the
speeches. although cheers were frequent
The cries for division arose as each speaker
took his seat. The government side was
best championed by the marquis OF Harting-
ton, secretary for war He said in conclu-
sion: 1.-THE government will never abandon
the Soudan until all the pledges it made to
the country before the opening Of the cam
paign shall be fulfilled. No one can be more
convinced than are the members of her
majesty's government that England cannot
afford to let her Mohammedan subjects see
her retreat"
A Conservative-Scuttle loud conserva-
tive cheers] ....-..
Lord Harrington 4resuming calmly
treat before an outbreak Of fanaticism! 1t
only for the sake Of moral effect on India,
the military expedition must continue until
Khartoum is retaken and FL Mahdi brought
to terms.
Great cheers arose from the Liberal
benches as the marquis sat down
and put on his hat. Under
the greatest excitement the tellers were ap-
pointed for the vote, and the members
passed out into the lobby cheering, chatting
and shouting, Mr.. Gladstone walking with
bent head and knitted brows. He was very
pale. As the members passed in, the quickest
calculators could not tell which side was
bound to win. Sir Stafford Northcote was
very nervous AT last, when the house was
reassembled and the tally was complete
there was a painful, breathleSs silence, Mr.
Gladstone shifting uneasily in his seat.
Speaker Peel then announced the vote. 1t
was 2SS votes in favor of censure and 3O3
votes against it-a victory for Gladstone by
IA votes. Small as it was, it was made to &C
far. The yell that went up from the Liberal
side has not been equaled in over fifty years
when the first reform bill passed its second
reading.
When the motion was put the Parnellites
dramatically baffled curiosity by remaining
seated until the house was cleared, and then
rose in body and went with the Conserve
tives. Still the result was not known until
the clerk advanced to the table and read the
figures. The result was received with vocif-
erous cheers and counter cheers
The cabinet met at , o'clock, Saturday
afternoon, at the prime minister's official
residence In Downing street Earl Spencer
lord lieutenant Of Ireland, in response TO a
summons from Mr., Gladstone, ar
rived from Dublin In the morning, and
the cabinet council In order to
lend suoh assistance and advice Is i.-
power I'm tho present trD'- II ~ nlS
The outcnr>~ -" Zig clrcumS13nces.
-. y. this ministerial conference is
entirely uncertain. Many well-informed
persons, whose sources of information are al
most beyond doubt, assert that crisis has
been reached and that Mr.. Gladstone's min
istry will tender their designations within
twenty-four hours.
LATER.-The cabinet council which con-
vened at o'clock remained in session until
$50 in the evening. At p m. the decisions
arrived at by the ministers as to their posi-
tion in view Of Friday nights vote, had
not transpired