The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-04-09
The Directors Discharged an EmplOye
for Giving Testimony Before
a Parliamentary Com
mission
That Was Appointed to Inquire IN
the Number of Hours Of Labor
Demanded by Railroads.


LONDON. April Tn the commons to-
day Buckley, Hankins, Conacher. and
Mcclure, the last named being member
of the house for the northeast division
of Lancashire. all of whom arc directors
Of the Cimbrian railway, appeared at the
bar of the house to answer summons
charging them with censuring one of the
railway employees who had testified be-
fore the parliamentary commission in
quiring into the hours of labor imposed
upon railway servants, in such manner
as tended to intimidate other railway
employees from testifying freely and fully
upon the matter the commission is IN
quiring into. The commission made Il
special report of facts in this case and
the gentlemen above named were sum
moned by the house to appear before it
and explain their action. They all con-
Cured in expressing their regrets for
their language in censuring Hood, the
emp!oye referred to. and declared the Of
fense was unintentional.
Sir Michael Hicks Beach, president of
the board of trade who had moved that
the directors be summoned TO the bar of
the house moved the speaker simply to
admonish the offenders. declaring it was
/ not case in which punishment should
be inflicted Thomas p. OConnor mann
tanned that the offenders be not deemed
purged until Hood was reinstated in the
| position be formerly held The house
was crowded as WAS also the gallery with
persons who were attracted by the de-
| bate on this question. Sir George Ire
velyan, liberal succeeding O'Connor, ac-
cuscd the railway directors of trying to
SUPPRESS evidence IN favor of the men 10y
dismissing Hood. Mr. Nilvain. conserva.
tive. denounced Sir George for trying IL
mslead the house. Hardy, conservative
charged Sir George with trying to i'll
fluence the report of the committee on
hours of railway men. Then number
of members simultaneously tried to catch
the speakers eye and the house was be-
coming highly excited, when suddenly
it was stilled by the rising of Glad
stone. He suggested the house would
90 beyond its function if it forced the
railway directors to compensate mar
whom they had dismissed from service
but it was the absolute duty of the house
he considered, to maintain the perfect
freedom of the, Witnesses appearing be
fore committees. 1t had been the Gus
tom in cases of breach of privilege to act
with mildness and yet with trmness
Gladstone recalled the reprimand ad
ministered to O'Conneli who had refused
to make an apology. He did not thinl
the house could act more wisely than tt
adopt the recommendations of Sii
Michael Hicks Beach. Gladstone spoke
for fifteen minutes and on every pom
was cheered by the minlsterials. The
radicals maintained glum silence.
Crerrer, radical. next suggested ina
the railway directors pay Hood tl,OO0
4 stream of radical speakers followed
Penwich proposed to adjourn the debate
with the view of allowing the director
t, compensate Hood. Balfour. the gov
crnment leader urged the leaders Il
take Gladstoncs advice Powell de
: clared amid cheers and shouts of de
rision that the directors ought to b'
sent to prison. The proposal to AL
, journ was defeated by IA vote of III Il
, l3E and the debate proceeded. After
/ long discussion Galfour moved to apply
the cloture rule and the motion was car
ried by 2l7 to 1856 amid loud radical pro
tests PictOn's amendment in favor q
compensating Hood was rejected. I'D u
y lS9. BalfOur then moved that ~
\ Michael Hicks Beach motion that IN
, speaker admonish the railway director
I for this breach of privilege be put 'a'
fours motion was received with l1n'
shout of yeas, which were responded L
l by defiant radical cries of noes. III
4 Tanner exclaimed. mo humbug.' AM
7 was rebuked by the speaker. The vi
roar subsidnp, Sir Michael Hicks
= Beach's motion was carried by IA vote q
3 $40 to 20. The directors were then re
called to the bar of the house and tn
A speaker read the resolution, adding tina
5 the house had taken lenlent view q
r their conduct in accepting the apolog
G they offere and the privilege of ia
house was no unreal, shadowy.or unsu'
stantal thing.