Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-24
MR.. REED ON CLOTURE
The Speaker of the House on OBJ
structing Legislation.
IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
When Cioture Rule Was First Adopted and
the Measures Which Led to It-How Proper
Motions May NuIIify a Legislative Body
Memorable Scenes in the House of Commons.
copyrighted.

Written for The Evening Star. tCopyrighted.
CtIvILIZED MANKIND Is so CLOSELY
~ bound together, united in thought and
feeling. that whatever is happening Of human
progress in one region is quite likely to be hap
pening in another. Each condition Of human
ity being a natural evolution from the last it is
fairly TO be expected that those who have taken
the first step should also take the second.
Hence, widely separated countries having
reached nearly the same level of intelligence
seem almost Independently of each other to be
undergoing the same changes A careful re-
view of the legislative bodies Of this country
and of the world shows a repetition of the same
difficulties and everywhere the same applica-
ton Of remedies. That OHIO and Kentucky,
New York and Tennessee. Massachusetts and
Virginia, although controlled by different par
ties and representing somewhat different modes
of thought. should have the same distractions
to their legislative work and meet the obstruction
of refusal to vote in the same way by the
method of counting those present TO make up
constitutional body is not perhaps to be so
much wondered at, since these states are COM
pOnent parts of one nation Yet the action of
each legislature so little known beyond the
state boundaries and so little needed within,
that when the same course was takcE elsewhere
members from some Of these very states were
1OuDd protesting against WHAT thelf own lrletius
had done at home and of which those friends
had left a permanent record
THE SANE ALL OVER THE WORLD.
careful review of the parliamentary history
Of the European and North American world
will show that everywhere except in two small
countries the same question has been asitated
and discussed and received decision The new
method of obstruction now in full tide of sue
CesSful experiment in the Senate of the United
States the upfEOH of OhsrrncfIpn hy debate
SO called. is now having a career all over the
world and will in due time have its remedy. |
need not say that that remedy Will leave real
debate intact and only exclude that false de-
bate which does not even resemble the genuine
article. Mr.. Chamberlain's monograph in the
Nineteenth Century for December is well worth
reading by an American in order that he may
see in another assembly which is world re-
nOwned. the same thing which constantly hap
pens in the bodies which govern his own coun-
try. 1t il but just, however, to say that the
state legislatures are not under the same repro
baton: for. being more under the eye of the
people. fewer abuses have crept in. Perhaps if
the CO3sg5r SSlO5ldt Record were abOlshedand the
newspapers were thereby compelled to give
fuller account of the doings of the Congress
some OF the evils now existing might abate
themselves.
Ten YEARS AGO IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
So little interest do people take in the modes
and methods of transacting legislative business
that probably not one in twenty has any knowl-
edge Of some remarkable scenes which took
place in the British house of commons ten
years ago. which scenes illustrate the way in
which motions which are in themselves proper
and suitable may be used effectively as if
they were regiment of infantry under COM
mand of tyrant to nullify and destroy legis-
latlve body. They show also that the resources
of the body are powerful enough to sweep
them away if exercised with vigor and courage.
OF course the measures taken to bring the bill
in question to a successful result have all the
hesitancy which mark a novel essay. but are in
structive in the lessons which they convey.
Parliament met in 1881 on January 6. and the
real commencement of the proceedings to be
described was when Mr.. Stuart Rendel rose to
move the address in reply to the queens
speech The bill finally passed was the bill for
the protection Of person and property in Ire
land, which was the preliminary to the solution
which Mr.. Gladstone was then Offering of the
Irish question.
DEBATE FOR ELEVEN NIGHTS.
The debate on the address lasted eleven
nights and was almost entirely devoted
to the affairs Of Ireland and the measure
to be proposed. The debate on the address
ended On the Goth of january. and on the oath
Mr.. Gladstone said regretfully that they had
only reached what would usually be the
third days business of the session.
On that day motion was made for
leave to bring in the bill, which
motion was debated for one night As il was
very apparent from this first debate that much
time was going to be consumed and many hours
wasted. Mr.. Gladstone. on Tuesday. the 25th,
arose and submitted a motion that the bill
should have precedence over all orders of the
day and notices of motions. Such a motion
when adopted would give to the bill the right
of WAY and deprive members of their right 10
initiate legislation Debate on the motion i'm
mediately commenced After it had continued
for five or six hours Mr.. Biggar persisted in
"A 49,. -.
after repeated warnings was named by the
speaker AID summarily suspended for the re-
n,aiuder Of the days session. Then the Irish
members proceeded TO repeated motions to ad-
journ the debate and for the adjournment Of
the house, alternating them in such fashion
that they could all speak again and again. When
the usual time came for adjournment Mr.. Glad
stone gave notice that the government would
resist all motions to adjourn or to adjourn
the debate, which meant that the house must
sit 1t on. and the contest became one of physi-
cal endurance. Sir Stafford NOrthcote and the
tories supported Mr.. Gladstone.
COMPROMISE PROPOSED.
About6 o'clock Wednesday morning a compro-
mise was proposed that the debate on the motion
for precedence should be finished Wednesday
and the bill itself should not be proceeded with
until Thursday This compromise was rejected
and the alienation recommended of discussion
on the motion itself on adjournment of debate
both these latter motions are debatable and to
any length. or at least then were. At about 6
O'Clock IN the morning Wednesday. the speaker
being exhausted, Mr.. Playfair. chairman of
ways and means. took the chair az deputy
speaker and the dreary struggle went on At
IL o clock noon Mr.. Parnell appeared and pro-
posed that a division should be taken, which
involved the decision of the motion for prece-
dence on condition that the government should
not take up the coercion bill until Thursday.
This. II will be remembered. was the COM
promise rejected at o'clock in the morning
Mr.. Gladstone continued To reject the arrange
nent proposed, but pointed out that the pres
ent session having already been prolonged be-
yond the appointed beginning Of Wednesday s
session. Wednesday session was no longer pos
sible and the bill could net by any means be
taken up until Thursday. After two hours more
OF debate the motion was put ard precedence
was given to the bill. and ON Thursday, January
"a, was begun the second nights debate on the
motion for leave to bring in the bill. The last
engagement had been rather a drawn battle
for while the opposition had carried the
second nights debate on the bill over
To Thursday the government had not yielded
and twenty-five consecutive hours had been
consumed in the session before the government
motion could be carried. Sir Stafford North
cote expressed the hope that the debate on
leave to bring in the bill might be ended on the
second night Sir Stafford was quite too san
guine- The second night passed AMI also the
third Mr. Gladstone pleading that the debate