Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-28
BLOWS IN PARLIAMENT.
Riotous Seen es in the House of
Commons
Chamberlain Makes q Bitter Speech Against
Members and Fighting Follows.

when
debate in committee Of the whole on the
home rule bill closed. Mr.. Chamberlain 5
bitter speech was the prelude to 1t, il not
Its cause He was still smarting under the
lash which Mr.. Gladstone swung on Tues
day evening. and spoke with corresponding
bitterness After few scornful and biting
words as to the conduct of the ministers
he began giving his opinion of the closure
as applied by the government. The men,
bers. he said, were about to witness the
last scene in a discreditabe farce. The de-
bate on the financial clauses had been a
mere sham The government had stood
over friend and foe alike. ready to let fall
the guiliotine without regard for justice or
constitutional rights The Irish members
we'll as the unionisrs We're anxious to
discuss at length the important financial
questions presented by the new clauses.
The bill had been changed in its most vital
features: still, no debate was regarded as
necessary. since. whatever was altered, the
bill was always found perfect by the ad-
herents of the prime minister.
Jeers from the Irish. cheers from the
unionists and counter-cheers from the
liberals interrupted Mr.. Chamberlain at
this point. He waited two or three min
utes before Ihe confusion aoated surncient-
~ for him to speak without EFFORT he
then proceeded thus:
The prime minister calls Black and
his adherents say ii is good The prime
minister calls White and they say il is
the voice Of God. Never since the time of
HerOd has there been such
Mr.. Chamberlain got no further lmme.
c.iately after reslning his speech ne had
been warned by mutterings from the irish
benches that storm was gathering He
could hardly have expected the suddenness
with which il broke. for with his halt-fin-
lsne1 reference to Herod there came from
the nationalists such roar of Indignation
as has not been heard in the house since
the days OF Parnen.
Mr. Chamberlain plainly was startled.
but he tried to talk on. His voice ~as in
audible 10 the members on the next bench.
Mr.. Chamberlain Called Judas
lie turned toward the nationalists. and
shriH yells Of execratiOn sounded above the
uproar T p. O'Connor sprans to his feet.
and leaning toward Mir. Chamberlain
shouted y uias'' 50 loudly that the epithet
could be heard throughout the house.
The rest OF the Irisnmen took up the cry
and for half a minute shouted Judas, in
chorus. Meantime the clock struck 10.
Chairman Mell0r tried TO put the closure,
but his voice could not be heard amid the
shouts OF the Irish and the unionists. Then
came a scene unprecedented in parliament
AIRY history.
Nlr. MellOr gave in a weak voice the Gus
tor1ary directions to clear the house for
division. AS the disorder subsidized prepa-
rauORs were made TO execute these direc-
tons
The conservatives, however, fatty refused
TO quit tne house. Weary Gibbs, Gibson
BOwles ana William Hanbury shouted TO
the chairman that he must nrst call Mr.
OConnor TO order for having called Mr..
Chamberlain names.
Mr.. MeIlor protested that he had not
heard the epithets in question
climbed 10 the benches and were shouting
Gag" gag Others were struggling in
the aiSles OF between the benches with rad
ical. liberal or Irish antagonists curses,
yells of pain and gross insults were heard
on every side.
John Logan. liberal ran down 10 the
md a.
ing Edward Carson. tory. As he shook
his fist under Mr.. Carson'S nose, George
Wyndharn. Mr.. Balfour's private secretary.
and William Fisher jumped to the assist
ance of their party colleagues, seized Mr
Logan by the neck, threw him TO the
floor head first and then bundled him under
a bench.
Somebody smashed Tim Healys high hat
down over his eyes. Heaiy tore on the
hat and sprang into the aisle in full night,
shouting that the chairman must name
Mr.. O'Conror. was trying to get by MIR.
the force OF the collision before Mr. Healy
got In blow. A free fight then broke out
at the top Of the gangway; The center
OF II was William Redmond, Parnellite,
who had taken advantage of the general
license TO push over Col. Saunderson, the
champion OF the men OF Ulster. Saunder-
son was rescued and led an attack on the
Parnellites. Blows were struck right and
left.
A General Fight.
Members fell and were picked up by
their friends to fight again. The whole
space between the front benches was filed
with struggling. cursing mass Of MEM
bers striking. clawing and upSetting each
other. Manful efforts were made to separ-
ate the cOmbatants. Both sergean Is at
arms forced their way through the thick
of the fight, but as fast as one group was
paciied another came to blows Eventu-
ally Mr. Gladstone begged Edward Mar
joribanks. a sturdy LIBERAL to do something
ton haN OIL
Mr.. Marjoribanks dug his way through
the tangled mass of belligerents. and by
nier succeeded In stemming the conflict.
Col Saunderson emerged first from the
crowd of fighters He was holding a
bunch OF keys to his black eye; Others fol-
Just as peace was assured, the door lead
ing to the lobby opened and DR.. Tanner,
the fight but minute before. came down
the house leaping over benches in his haste
to get into the melee The serseant-at-
arms caught him half way from the door
to the first bench and restrained him until
he consented to keep the peace
Mr.. Balfour had been absent during the
riot. Mr.. Gladstone. sitting bolt upright,
had watched the scene with infiamed face
and an expression of sorrow, indignation
and astonishment. which will never be
eHaced from the memory OF those observ-
ing IL. Chairman Nellor sent for Speaker
Peel as soon order was restored When
the speaker entered several conservatives
IOSe, anu ROiAlAhS " -1A- Nio0SNOAAcs
claimed:
There sits the author of it ALL"
While Mr. Gladstone. Mr.. Balfour and
Mr.. Mellor conferred to what should
be done. the cOmbatants were comparing
notes. Not a few of them showed the
effects of rough handling. Timothy Healy
had received hard blow in the face and
one cheek was badly swollen. William
Redmond also had a bad spot on his face.
Reporting to the Speaker.
The hum of voices died out as Speaker
Peel. stern and dignified. took the chair.
A slight cheer was given for him and then
Mr.. MeIlor, as chairman OF the committee,
reported 10 Mr.. Peel, speaker of the
house what had occurred. Mr.. Mellor spoke
in a low sorrowful voice. but the members
had become SO quiet that not word was
inaUdibie-
In response to the speakers request, Mr..
Gibbs then made his complaint in regard
To Mr. O'COnnors calling MIR. Chamberlain
JUDAS" Mr.. Handbury and William John
ston, conservative, corroborated his state
ment-
The speaker asked Mr.. O'COnnor to say.
on his word of honor. whether or not he
used the word Judas"
Timothy Healy. amid loud cries Of "or-
der" interposed to ask whether no atten-
tiOn wouli be paid to the refusal of MEM
hers to enter the lobbies for division. This
he said. was the real reason why the
speaker was summoned Should it not,
then be considered first?
The speaker at once appealed to the party