Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-08-04
IN ENGLAND, At THAI.
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN A
FREE FIGHT.
An Indescribable Scene of Riot In Parlia-
meat over the Home Rulo Bill.---
Other General News.
English Statesmen Have a Fist Fight.

London cable: One of the most
bloody and disgracefu rows that ever
occurred in a legislative body was wit
messed in the house of commons when
in the contest over the closure on the
home rule bill many members lost
their heads and proceeded To argue the
question with their fists. The parts of
the bill left over for the divisions were
the new financial clauses, the schedules
and the preamble. Few members
were absent from the benches on the
floor of the house. The proceedings
early in the evening were tame enough
and it was not until "A short time be-
fore 10 o'clock when closure was TO be
applied to end the debate, that any in
timation of the coming storm was APP
parent. Joseph Chamberlain was max
ing the closing argument against the
financial clauS IS and was very bitter
in his pronunciation of Mr.. Gladstone
and his followers. lie was repeatedly
interrupted and at one point was forced
To wait several minutes for the noise TO
cease. lie then proceeded thus: "The
prime minister calls black and his
adherents say il is good. The prime
minister calls white and they say it is
better. (Unionist laughter NJ is al
ways the voice of God. Never. since
the time of Ilerod, has there been
such"
Mr.. Chamberlain got no further
He could have hardly expected the sud
denness with which it broke, for with
his half-tinished reference to Herod,
there came from the Nationalists such
roar Of indignation as has not been
heard in the house since the days of
Parnell. Mr.. Chamberlain turned to-
ward the Nationalists and shrill yells
of eXecratiOu sounded above the up
roar. OConnor sprang to his feet and,
leaning toward Mir. Chamberlain,
shouted, Judas so loudly that the
epithet could be heard throughout the
house. The rest OF the lrishmen took
up the cry and for half IL minute
shouted Judas in chorus
Meantime the clock struck 10. Chair
man Mellor tried TO put the closure,
but his voice could not be heard amid
the shouts of the Irish and the Union
lists. Then came scene unprece-
denied in parliamentary history. The
members crowded forward in exciting
groups, shaking their fists and shout
ing their demands. Unionists were
struggling in the aisles or between the
benches with Radical, Liberal or Irish
antagonists. Curses, yells of pain and
gross insults were heard on every side.
There were members rolling together
on the foor, others had clinched and
many more were banging their antago-
nists right and left with their fists.
a free fight then broke out at the
top of the gangway. The center of it
was VIM. Redmond, Parnellite, who
had taken advantage of the general
license TO push over Col. Saunderson,
the champion of the men of Ulster.
Saundcrson was rescued and led an at
tack on the Parnellites. Blows were
struck right and left. Members fell
and were picked up by their friends TO
fight again. The whole space between
the front benches was filled with
struggling, cursing mass of members,
striking. clawing and upsetting each
other.
Eventually Mr.. Gladstone begged
Edward Marjoribanks, sturdy Lib
eral, TO do something to stop the fight
ing. Mr.. MaTjoribanks dug the way
through the tangled mass of belliger-
ents and by repeated appeals in the
name OF the premier succeeded in
stemming the conflict. Mr.. Gladstone,
sitting bolt upright, had watched the
scene with inflamed face and an ex-
preston of sorrow, Indignation and as
constituent which will never be effaced
from the memory of those observing it
When matters had finally become
somewhere near the usual status the
clauses were passed with good majori-
ties and the committees arose. Many
of the members will carry the scars of
the fracas for many day.