The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-08-04
FOUGHT LIKE CATS.
A Riot Starts up in the House
of Commons.
IS EXCITING IN PARLIAMENT
A Fatal Accident The Victoria
Court Martial Getting Ready.

There was a regular riot in the
house of commons, the scenes en-
acted there being unprecedented
in parliamentary history. Ten
o'clock Friday evening was the
hour set for the closure debate in
the committee on the home-rule
bill. The early part of the even.
ing was tame enough, being oc-.
cupied by obscure members. At
9:45 Joseph Chamberlain arose to
deliver the final broadside Of the
opposition. He was still smarting
under the lash adninistrated by
Gladstone Thursday evening. and
spoke with much bitterness, giving
his opinion of the closure as ap.
piled by the government. He was
frequently interrupted BY jeers
from the Irish and cheers from his
own side. After one period of the
interruption he proceeded.
"The prime minister calls black,
and his adherents say it is good.
He calls white, and they say it is
better. 1t is always the voice of a
god. Never since the time of Her
cd has there been such"
Chamberlain got no further, for
with his half finished reference to
Herod, there came from the ma
tionalists such a roar of indigna-
tion 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. 7. P. O'Connor
sprang to his feet and leaning to-
| ward Chamberlain, shouted ''Ju-
das' SO loudly it was heard
throughout the house. The rest
of the Irishmen took up the cry
and for half a minute shouted "Ju-
das" in chorus.
When the clock struck 10, Chair
man Meller tried to put the clos
ure, but his voice could not be
heard. Then he gave the custo-
mary directions, but several con-
servasies shouted he must first cali
O'Connor to order for calling
Chamberlain names. Meller pro-
tested he had not heard the epi-
thets in question, Than every
body started for the front bench,
the unionists shouting Gag
Others struggled in the aisles or
between benches with radicals,
liberals or Irish antagonists. John
Logan, liberal, ran down to the
first opposition bench and began
upbraiding Edward Carson, Wind
ham and Fischer jumped to Car
sons assistance, seized Logan by.
the neck, 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 off,
he jumped into the aisle in fight
ing posture just as Hanbury was
trying to get past. Hanbury was
knocked over a bench by the force
Of collision. A free fight then
broke out at the gangway, led by
William Redmond, Parnellite,
who pushed over Colonel Sander
son, the champion of the Ulster
ties. Sanderson was rescued and
headed an attack of Parnellites.
Blows were struck right and
left. The whole space between the
front benches was filled with a
struggling, cursing mass Of mem
bers. striking, clawing and upset
ting each other. The seargeant-at-
arms were powerless. Finally,
Gladstone begged Edward MAORI
banks, q sturdy liberal, to help
stop the affair. Majoribanks dug
his way through the belligerents
and by dint Of repeated appeals in
the name Of the premier, succeed
ed in stemming the conflict, Colo
nel Sanderson emerged first from
the crowd Of fighters, holding
bunch of keys to his black eye.
Others followed in a more or less
damaged condition. Just as peace
was restored the door leading to
the lobby, opened and the re6oubt
able DR.. Tanner, who had just
heard of the fight, came rushing
in, leaping over the benches in his
eagerness to get into the melee.
He was quickly seized by the SER
geant- alarms. Gladstone, sitting
upright. had surveyed the whole
scene with an inhamed face and
an expression Of sorrow, indigna-
tion and astcnishment which will
never be effaced from the minds
of those who viewed him,