The herald., 1893-07-28
A RIOT IN THE COMMONS.
The StOrmiest Scene in That
Body's History.
Chamberlain offered an Insult
to Gladstone.
This Reused the Anger of the Irish
Nati0nalists.
ARegular Donnybrook Fair Row Ensued.
Parliamentary Eyes Blackened.
Order Finally Restored by
the Premier.

|
LONDON, July 27.-There was regular
riot in the house OF commons tonight.
the scenes there enacted being unpre-
cedented in parliamentary history. Ten
O'Clock this evening was the hour set for
the closure of the debate in committee
ON the home rule bill. The earlyspart
of the evening was tame enough, being
occupied by obscure members. At 9:45
| Joseph Chamberlain arose to deliver
the final broadside of the opposition,
He was still smarting under the lash ad-
ministered by Gladstone Tuesday even
| ing; and spoke with much bitterness
giving his opinion Of the closure as ap-
piled by the government. He was fire.
quently interrupted by jeers from the
Irish and cheers from his own eide.
After one period Of interruption. he
proceeded "The prime minister calls
black and his adherents say it is good.
He calls white and they say it 10 bet
ter. 1t is always the voice OF God.
Never since the time OF Herod has there
been such"
Chamberlain got no further for, with
his half finished reference to Herod,
there came from the Nationslists such .
roar of indignation as has not been
heard in the commons since the time of
| Parnell. Chamberlain was plainly
startled, but tried to talk on. His voice
was inaudible.
! T. p. O'Connor eprang to his feet and,
leaning toward Chamberlain, shouted
"Judas" so loudly that it WAS heard
throughout the house. The rest of the
Irishmen took up the cry, and for half
a minute they shouted "Judas" in cho-
rus. ~T
When the clock struck 10 Chairman
MelloY tried to put the closure, but his
voice could not be heard. Then he
gave the necessary directions, but sew
eral Conservatives shouted that he must
first call O'Conuor to order for calling
Chamberlain names. Melior protested
JHaE NB had not heard tha Hpi&hets in
Then everybody started for the front
bench. the Unionists shouting " Gag! /"
Others struggled in the aisles or be-
tween the benches, with Radical, Lib
eral or Irish antagonists. John Logan,
Liberal, ran down to the first opposition
bench and began upbraiding Edward
Carson, Tory. Windham and Fisher
jumped to Carson's assistance, seized
Logan by the neck and threw him to the
floor head first and bundled him under
the bench.
Somebody smashed Tim Healy's high
hat over his eyes, and as soon as Tim
got it off he jumped into the aisle in a
fighting posture, just as Hanbury was
trying to get past. Hanbury was
knocked over a bench by the force of
the collision.
A free fight then broke out at the
gangway, led by William Redmond,
Parnellite, who pushed over Colonel
Sanderson, champion of the Obstetrics.
Ssnderson was rescued and headed an
attack on the Parnellites. Blows were
struck right and left. The whole space
between the front benches was filed
with struggling, cursing mass OF mem
bers, striking. clawing and upsetting
each other. The eegeants-at-arms were
powerless.
Finally Gladstone begged Edward
Mnjoribanks, sturdy Liberal, to help
stop the affair. Msjoribanks dug his
way through the belligerents and by
dint of repeated appeals in the name OF
the premier, succeeded in atemming the
conflict.
Colonel Sanderson emerged first from
the crowd of fighters, holding bunch
OF keys to his black eye. Others fol-
lowed in more or less damaged condi-
ton.
Just as peace was restored, the door
leading to the lobby opened and the re.
doubtable DR.. Tanner, who had just
heard OF the fight, came rushing in,
leaping over benches in his eagerness to
get into the melee. He was quickly
seized by the sergeant-at-arms.
Gladstone sitting upright had sur
veyed the whole scene with an inf1amed
face and an expression of sorrow, indig-
nation and astonishment which will
never be effaced from the minds of those
who viewed him.
Chairman Mellor sent for Speaker
Peel, and when that gentleman arrived
stone and exclaimed: "There sits the
author of it all /" - sssss68
Absolute quiet was restored as Speaker
Peel, stern and dignifed, took the chair.
Gibbs made complaint about Chamber
lain being called .'Judss' by O'Connor.
The speaker asked O'Connor If he had
used the term. Tim Healy interposed
to ask If no attention was to be paid to
| the refusal of the members to enter the
lobbies for division. Finally the speaker
appealed to the party leaders to tell him
what had occurred.
Gladstone said be regretted that nei-
ther his eyes nor his ears enabled him
to give very clear account of the affair.
He then described the events as related
to him by his lieutenants, and expressed
the opinion that q division should be
taken before the ssJudsa'' incident was
considered.
Balfour told his side of the story "a
related by his men, he having been abb
sent whom the row occurred.
Speaker Peel decided that the express
sion alleged to have been used was the
certain Ii was used in the heat and irri-