Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-09
Mr.. Gladstone Announces His
Policy in the House
of Commons.
The Premier Goes to His Work
Amid Trene dOus Cheers.
The Crowd Around the Parliament
Building the Largest Ever Col
lected in One Body in
London.
LONDON. April s

Q.
At the houses # Parliament this morning
before the night watchmen in the House were
relieved or the light were extinguished a mum
Der of members of Parliament. gentlemen
sure of admttance, began to arrive to make
themselves doubly certain of their privilege.
by getting to their seats. Mcdonnell Suli-
van, nationalist member for South West
meath, was the first man to gain entrance tc
the House. lie got in as early AS ) 30 in the
morning, ana at once proceeded 70 make sure
OF his place. 1t is alleged however. that
Sullivan secured his advantage by bribng a
friendly policeman to permit him to have ac-
cess by the way of the back stairs.
The South Westmeath member was not
long the sole occupant of the chamber. He
was almost Immediately followed by score
of Parnefs colleagues. The rule regarding
seats was practically first come. first served
Sullivan therefore had his pick of the whole
floor. He chose the verv best. 1t was not
long before all of Parneli's followers were in
the House, and they pre-empted the best
places ia the locality invaded by Mr.. Sulli-
van. The rest of the British members fol-
lowed close upon the advent of Parnell's fol
lowers Ii was Yet early in the morning when
all of the seats on the floor were taken A
number of members were afraid to trust to
llit iouOr VI tutlT COliedgues lOF tne mann
tenance of the rules on an occasion like tina,
of today, ard those retained possession OF
their chosen seat by remaining in them boldly
all day. The chamber is swept clean and
busted every morning during the session.
Today 1t was Thoroughly scrubbed as well.
Disagreea6le as ali this was. it did not dis
turb the gentlemen who were sitting for Sc
durty, and they maintained their positions
When they got hungry and thirsty they had
tn, IT food and drink brought in to them
Some of them had been their all night. strug-
Cling to get in, and these generally fixed
themselves as comfortable As possible and
slept.
number of members disported themselves
on the river terrace, borrowed bicycie and
had great sport, racing up and down the ter.
race with 1t until 1t finally collapsed, throw
ing =. J. O Drien, parnel member for
Tlpperary, who was riding at the time upon
his head on the tagging. He was picked up
bleeding profusely and badly stunned. HIs
forehead was deeply cut over his ewes. and
his face and hands were much torn and
bruised. He was, in fact, so seriously in.
jured that he had to be removed to a hospital
but he insisted on going b4reheaded. ard
after his wounds were dressed ne returned to
occnpy his seat After exhaustine all ex-
pedients to kill time outside, the members
assembled in the House aft4r one o'clock.
rIn an hour the floor was pretty well covered
with groups of members, animatedly debating
the possible outcome of the day.
The crowds outside of the House hv this
time had increased to thousands The con-
servative politicians were not without hope
to Influence the feelings of the crowd against
the orator of the day. even in the last avail
III
and placard bearers among the crowd carry
ing such appeals as "Let us consolidate and
not diSmember the empire" etc.
At > o'clock the crowd outside the palace
gates was enormous. 1t covered all the space
down to the Westminster bridge and extended
pretty well NJ Parliament street toward
Whitehall. At that hour perfect jam of
people filled Downing street where Mr.. Glad
stones official residence is situated This
crowd was patiently waiting for the premier
to make his appearance on his departure for
the House of Commons.
MIR. Gladstone finished reading his papers
aud telegraphIc and mail correspondence at
an early hour. He spent the remainder of
the morning and part of the afternoon in con-
temptation. He refused to permit himself to
be disturbed by calls from any of the large
number of persons who attempted to see him.
making but one exception, and that in favor
of John Morley, chief secretary for Ireland.
whom he sent tor and conferred with for a
short time.
The enormous clock for which Big Ben"
England's giant bell, rings the time in Victo-
ria tower, on the southwest corner of the Par
lament building, stopped this afternoon. Its
stoppage was noticed by the crowds in the
streets, who depended on its tones for know
ing the time of day, and it was regarded by
the thousands near by as an occurrence of i'll
omen.
Soon after o'clock, all the thoroughfares
about St. Stephen were so crowded with peo-
pie that the attempts to carry on traffic IN the
neighborhood had to be suspended Mounted
police were placed on duty because it was i'm
possible for officers on foo. to go about
In the House of Commons the member.
row began to divide themselves into parties.
with view to their probable support or op-
position to the coming speech. They also
INDUCED in considerable bantering of one
another Mr.. Peter Rylands, liberal member
for Burnley, who had failed to secure sea,
on the floor, but had one in one of the gal.
leries. attempted to make speech from his
lofty position. He was greeted with a volley
of yells which rendered his voice inaudible,
and compelled him to relinquIsh his purpose
of giving the House some information. II
was assertainei that no less than 45O of the
650 members had entered and secured their
seats by personal occupation OF ''hotting
Before u O'Clock the wives, daughters and
female relatives and friends of these mem
bers thronged the waiting rooms. They
were provided with provisions with which tc
subsist and pass the time during which they
were waiting.
Soon after 3 clock, the Parnell member.
began TO take possession of their seats. They
arranged themselves in serted ranks on the
opposition benches in front of the places
where Gladstone was TO speak. Thomas
Power O'Connor, nationalist member for the
Scotland division of Liverpool, explained the
haste exhibited by his party to secure seat,
by saying that the tories had organized plo
TO take possession of the seats in such a WAY
as to make it impossible for the Parnell part,
TO sit together, in order to rob Mr.. Gladstone
of the chorus of cheers which the full throat
ed Irish members would be sure to give hin
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