The Irish standard., 1889-04-06
THE WELCOME TO PARNELL.
Scenes and Incidents of a Memorable
Night in Parliament Vividly
Pictured
BY JUSTIN MCCARTHY, NJ. P.
The Scowling, Crimson Face Of Lord
Harrington as He Sat, Silent
and Sullen.

That WAS strange scene which we
saw in the House Of Commons about
eleven O'Clock last Friday night, says
Justin Mccarthy in the independent.
The House Was crowded to excess; the
members galleries We're filed with
members who could not find a seat in
the House itself or standing-room in
the space below the bar where mon are
allowed to stand The strangers gal,
lerles, tha distinguished strangers
gallery. the ambassadors gallery, the
seats for the peers, the ladies gallery
were all as full as they could hold. Mr..
Gladstone had opened the debate for
the evening in speech a6ame with elo-
quence and passion and was seated
now in his usual place, OH the front
opposition bench, alert, energetic, Gag
er as ii he had not entered on his eigfl-
tieth year. Mr.. Asquitb had just con-
cluded powerful! and brilliant speech
Mr.. Asguith who is one of the co11n-
sci for the Irish nationalist roembers in
the case before the special commission;
and, as / said, it is about eleven o'clock,
The moment Mi. Asqu1tn sits down &
member rises on The same side Of the
House below the gaugway, and The mo-
nient he rises q perfect thunder of
cheering paals out from the benches of
the opposition aud then the whole mass
Of the opposition spring to their feet,
aud standing. repeat and repeat the
storm burst Of their applause. Never
bus once before in my recollection had
either side OF the House OF Ccmmons
paid their peculiar tribute to any mem
ber: it is almost unknown. tais form of
demonstrate this uprising and up
standing OF q parliamentary party to do
honor to one man. The only instance
of it before FRIDAY night that l can re-
member WAS on the memorial morning,
NOW nearly three years ago, when Mr..
Gladstone brought i'll his home rule
measure for Ireland. Then indeed the
Irish party welcomed him by standing
up as one man; and his English, Scotch
and Welsh followers acted on the tx
ample and stood up likewise to greet
him. On Friday night the liberal party
took t,,e initiative and stood up to well
come Mr.. Parnell. Yes-there was
Gladstone himself standing up and
cheering with something like the glori-
ous energy Of youth; there WAS the up
right colossal form of Sir William Har~
court; there was the slender, scholarly
figure of John Morley: there were the
other leaders of opposition.
Silent and sullen, with scowling crim-
son face sat L,ord Harrington, He and
his companions in session still insist Or
occupying then old places on the front
opposition bench. Thus it happened
that III the early part Of the evening
MI. Gladstone WIS denouncing Mr..
Chamberlain while Mr.. Chamberlain
was sitting OH the same bench with OH
" one man between him and his former
leader Who was now pouring over him
a hot wave Of anger and scorn. One
Was reminded Of the older days of En-
glish parliamentary history when Wal
pole and Pulteney used to rise alter
rately from the same bench and de-
nounce each other. MIR. Chamberlain
was not in the house at the moment
when the demonstration of welcome
was made III honor OF MT. Parnell. He,
500, would have kept his seat; although
/ know as matter Of fact that he was
never taken in by the forged letters.
He always, I am assured, expressed his
utter disbelief in them. Still he would
not, I take it for granted, have joined
in the demonstration in honor Of Mr..
Parnell. He would not, in truth, be
likely to take the liberty Of joining in
any demonstration or anything else
which had not the fall sanction and ap-
proval of Lord Harrington.
Mr.. Parnell seemed surprised, almost
discomposed by the rapturous and ex-
traordinarv welcome which was given
to him. He stood there, tall, pale,
statue like, waiting with downcast eyes
until the storm Of cheering should have
spent it's strength. I wonder did his
mind 20 back while he was thus wei
coined as hardly any other man ever
was welcomed in the house of commons
before-did his mind go back to the
other nights when both sides of the
house united to groan and yell and
storm at him? Parnell now and Par
nell then-what distance we seem to
have trav,ed Now he is the most pop
ular man in England with the single
exception Of Mr.. Gladstone. I put