The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-04-09
were not in sufficient numbers to cause

were not in sufficient numbers to cause Ill
nature or attract much attention.
During the delivery of the speech, as
night approached, the crowd outside gradu-
ally disappeared but inside the commons
there was q constant QulYer OF excitement
from early morning until adjournment Be
fore the speaker entered, the moor OF the
House, the lobbies, stairWayS and galleries
were all in the possession of scattered mob
of gentle and aristocratic people, struggling
to hear and see the orator of the day. There
were fifty times as many persons engaged in
the struggle as could possibly be accOmmO-
dated, and in the surge bishops, peers and
plenipotentiaries ran foul of commoners, re-
porters and people of every sort. In one
group seen at one time was the Greek am
bassador, the United States minister, Cardi-
nal Manning Editor Burnand of Punch, the
Japanese ambassador and Michael Davltt.
These SIX were Jammed in the struggle about
the door of the speakers gallery but were
finally rescued and taken to the accOmmoda-
tions provided for them Every square
on the floor held human being.
The Prince of Wales, his son, Prince Al
bert Victor, the Duke of Cambridge Prince
Christian and Minister Phelps occupied seats
during the speech in the front row of the
peers gallery, MI Phelps sitting beside
Prince Christian.
As well known members entered the House
they were greeted with cheers. John Bright,
who entered with feeble gait, was greeted
WlUn ringing anu dppIONluS Iuc
Parnellites gave Parnell and Morley hearty
| reception, but welcomed Goshen with de-
riSive shouts.
During momentary lull in the confusi on
of the cheers, the House was suddenly start
led by wild cry. 1t came from the throats
| of those who were the first to catch sight OF
| Gladstone gliding toward his seat from be-
| hind the S1eaKer's chair. The Irish mem
| bers Sprang to their feet as one man, and Tor
| several minutes an uproar of enthusiastic
| ann1ancn continued and the fnll-fhT0atp0
Irish cheer that Mr.. I. p. O'Connor had
feared the interloping Tories might deprive
of half its power, was repeated till the whole
building seemed to reverberate with its TIL
umphant peal. Gladstone seated himself be-
tween Morley and Sir William Vernon Har-
court. He looked very pale, and the lines on
his forehead appeared to have deepened
since his recent illness. But his.step as ne
entered was elastic, and his bearing indlcat-
ed that he felt full confidence in the success
| ef his forthcoming speech. Gladstone was
both pleased and agitated by the eXtraordi
nary enthusiasm of the populace.
| The rule which practically excludes ladies
| from the public sight in the House of Com
mons and which on occasions like that of to-
day inexorably separates the husband and
wife who are fortunate enough to secure
seats among the spectators, compelled Mrs.
Gladstone to hide herself behind the screen
closing of The front of the ladies' gallery.
The venerable lady most interested of all the
spectators there met the Princess of Wales
whose royal blood could not procure for her
the privilege of sitting beside her husband
in the House any more than the Prime Minis
ter's wife's claim could gain for her the boon
of witnessing the noblest effort of her great
husbands career There were also in the
ladies' gallery many women of noble blood.
1t was 435 when the speaker called on Mr..
Gladstone to take the floor. Gladstone then
rose and met with the most prolonged out
burst of cheering ever heard in the House OF
Commons. He was evidently deeply i'm
pressed by his reception. During the. pro-
gress Of his statement of the features OF his
bill there was little or no demonstration OF
friendship of hostility from either part of
the House. This part of his oratiOn was
admirably cold, precise, methodical and in
structive. Occasionally, however, the Par
nellites gave vigorous cheer when some
sentiment was expressed which they could
re-echo now and then-likewise a half au-
dible sign of dissent came from the Conser-
vative benches. But for the most part the
arguments were heard in silence and stran-
ger would easily have supposed the voice
impassioned man in the full vigor of the
prime of life. Even the natural stiffness of
old age Gladstone Is 76,) gradually gave way
to the fieXibleness in movement, animation
in manner and in fire of utterance that are
amazing in themselves, but which do not
strike the auditor as anything but matters OF
course, so generally and imperceptibly do
the fires of the grand old mans eloquence
light him up.
Excitement in Dublin.
DUBLIN, April S-The city was in a state
of political axcitement oil day, and there was
a feverish anxiety to hear from the House of
Commons. The sole topic of conversation
change, the club rooms and all places where
kilograms were received from London were
crowded all day. The excitement here over
dad hat hxrf fhn 10Th la Eraor oi-