Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-24

ton to adjourn the house. As members
could speak but once on each question this al
formation afforded the opposition the chance of
speaking as MANY times as the motions were
renewed each repetition being a new motion.
Members would speak upon the main question
and then move to adjourn the debate.
MOTION AFTER MOTION.
After all the time had been exhausted
that could be on that motion a division
would be had and then the motion to
adjourn made and seconded and all the time
that could be wasted on that would in like man
ner be used up. II a member came in fresh
from tine outside primed with a speech on the
main question, then the regular alienation
would be suspended and his speech delivered.
II will be seen that each motion was in itself
proper one to make and debate was in order on
each in conformity with the 'precedents or
rather more than "a hundred years" After
about nine hours and at about l o'clock Tues
day morning Mr.. Gladstone on a motion to
adjourn debate gave notice that the govern
ment proposed to resist the motion. This
intended and construed as notice that the de-
bate must end before the close of the session.
1t kept on its mOnotonous way, however, until
40 i'll the morning, when Mr.. Speaker re-
tired and the clerk at the table informed the
house of the unavoidable absence of Mr..
Speaker, whereupon the deputy speaker took
the chair and Mr.. Sexton took the floor, and
unlimited debate and unlimited motion-mak-
ing proceeded. The members were cross, and
Mr.. Deputy Speaker had much trouble in keep
ing them III order and combining them to the
question and did not often meet with success
SUGGESTIONS NOT FOLLOWED.
At 1:30 in the afternoon Mr.. Speaker reap
peared and resumed the chair against the OBJ
jections of Mr.. Parnell. The debate and the
motions went on very much as before until
about IL o'clock in the evening, when there
were made some suggestions to the speaker
that the way out of the trouble was to suspend
all the recalcitrant members as being in con-
spiracv against order. To these suggestions
Mr.. Speaker responded somewhat vaguely,
having evidently not made up his mind
what course to pursue, and called on the
member who had been speaking to resume.
At II :35 Mr.. Speaker again retired, leaving Mr..
Deputy Speaker in the chair to struggle with
her majestys opposition" After midnight
and in the early hours an effort was made to
induce. the deputy speaker to carry out the
somewhat vague ideas of Mr.. Speaker. but he
declined so to do and the wearisome iteration
went on for many hours more, when Mr..
Speaker. refreshed by sleep, returned at
O'Clock in the morning. and, in a vigorous allo-
cutiOn. in great contrast with his somewhat
doubtful and unsatisfactory remarks of the
evening before,
PROCLAIMED THE SOUND DOCTRINE
that the speaker, as representative of the power
of the house, had right, and it was his duty,
to override proceedings, however regular In
which stopped the business of the house. After
this address. which is a model of its kind he
refused further motions and further debate
and put the question on the amendment then
pending and on the main question. which were
both carried. These proceedings caused great
excitement, says Hansard, among the men,
bers present. and those who voted in the mi
nority withdrew from the house crying. Priv
legen Privilegen That afternoon when the
house met Mr.. Labouchere asked the speaker
by what authority he did this thing and Mr..
Speaker replied with spirit and dignity: Il
dld 1t upon my own responsibility and from
sense of duty to the house."
The house had been in continuous session
from O'Clock Monday until $50 O'Clock We'd
nesday. The contest had lasted forty-one
hours and a half. After this lesson of the power
of the few over the many Mr.. Gladstone felt
that the time had come when unlimited power
of making motions and unlimited right of de-
bate should give way to the transaction of pub
lie business with such motions were really
needed and such debate was of real value.
Hence on the Thursday following Mr.. Glad
stone offered his motion to remedy the evil,
which after amendment took such shape that
when the house ON motion of minister of the
crown by vote of three to one in house of
800 members voted urgency, the speaker
put in full control of all the powers of the
house for the regulation of business. This mo-
ton was carried after one days debate owing
to the fortuitous circumstance that the house
was able to turn out all the Irish members for
that day.
DILLON AND PARNELL AND OTHERS SUSPENDED
When Mr.. Gladstone arose to present
his motion Mr.. Dillon arose also and re-
fused to take his seat, whereupon he was
named and suspended. Mr.. Parnell then
moved that Mr. Gladstone. who had resumed
be no further heard. Whereupon, after a
struggle, Mr.. Parnell was named and sus-
pended. When the division was had the Irish
members refused to go into the lobby to vote.
They were warned that they must go. Mr..
Finnigan. while Mr.. Gladstone was talking,
again moved that he be no longer heard. Upon
division twenty-eight members refused to go
into the lobby. and being named in a batch
were suspended on one motion. Mr.. Balfour
inquired whether as point of order the sus-
pension could be inflicted more than
member at time, but the speaker replied: lit
Is a question not of order but of convenience"
Mr.. Gladstone then began again, but Mr..
U Kelly claimed a right to move that he be
no longer heard, and was duly named and sus-
pended The same fate awaited Mr.. Donnell,
Mr.. Powersand Mr.. o Shaughnessy, who, having
refused to take part in the division, were also
pended. and Mr.. Gladstone at last had the floor
TO explain his new rule.
SUGGESTIONS NOT FOLLOWED.
sit is to be understood" again says Hansard,
that throughout these proceedings the great
est excitement and confusion prevailed" I'm
der this new rule thus made the bill went to
second reading, on which four nights were con-
sumed in what we should call general debate.
1t then was committed TO the committee of the
whole, where it was debated and amended for
eight nights, when it was reported to the house
as amended and considered and amended and
debated there for three nights more, when it
was ordered TO be read third time. Debate
went on for two nights and the much-consid-
cred, much-debated bill finally passed.
having occupied the greater part of the time of
the house OF commons from January to Feb
ruary 20, q month and twenty days.
Measures much more restrictive than Mr..
Gladstone's cioture have since been adopted
and still others will be required.
THOMAS B. REED.
BUTTER AND LARD.