Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-03-15
BLOW AT THE LORDS.
Significant Action in the British
House of Commons.

debate last night in the house OF com
mons on the address, Mr.. John Morley,
chief secretary for Ireland, Insisted that
there could be no injury to ireland
through temporary suspension OF the
home rule bill If he had supposed that
the reconstructed ministry would not be
accorded its views on the Irish question,
he would not be a member Of that minis
try. (CheerS)
Home rule, he said, had neither been
delayed nor abandoned, but would take
its place in the course of sequence as had
been arranged prior to Mr.. Gladstone
retirement As to the Irish party with
drawing its support from the government
he was happy to say there were no sigus
of any such disastrous and mischcvous
event. There could be no mistake i'm the
minds of any one who had read the speech
made in the house of lords yesterday by
Lord Rose berry that he meant 10 do All III
his power to achieve home rule besides
reducing the heuse OF lords TO its proper
place as the legislative organ it is now
recognized to be in the minds of the Eng
lish people.
Mr.. John Redmond Parnellte, said
that never during his experience in par
Lament had a more difficult and humi.ia-
ting task fallen upon a chief secretary for
Ireland than the present one, which put
him up to try by the strength of his own
character as genuine friend of Ireland
to remove the impress created by
the halting and ambiguous phrases of
Lord Rosebery. Whatever Mr. Nor
ley might say, he declared, Ireland
would not trust Lord Rosebeyy.
He (Redmond) repudiated Lord Rose
bery's doctrine that an English majority
was necessary for the passage of home
rule. The theory was insulting and
humilating to Ireland who, alone, had
the right to decide.
If Lord Rose bery's doctrine was right
the lords had the power to continue to
throw out home rule or any other mea-
sure the house of commons might pass.
If that right belonged to the house of
lords through privilege of birth, tnen, he
declared, Great Britain would ring with
the cry for its abolition.
Mr.. Joseph Cham mberain said the union
lists We're satisfied with the adhesion of
the government to their old policy, as il
gave a definite issue on which to meet
them on all sides. Every body, he thought
ought to be satisfied except, perhaps, Mr.
Labouchere, who was going about like
Diogenes with his lantern, looking for an
honest friend
Mr. Labouchere retorted that he cared
nothing about the sneers Of detecting
radicals. His constituents, he said, had
given him their mandate ami he intended
to fulfil it by moving an amendment to
the address that the power now enioycd
by persons not elected to. parliament
through the usual franchise yet were
able to prevent the passage of bills, shall
cease. (Cheers)
Mr. LabOuchere said that he was one of
the many who were dissatis fled with the
manner in which the liberal party had
been transferred to its new leader What,
he asked, had they been engaged in
throughoutjthe evening, except discus
sing the words used by Lord Rosebery in
the house OF lords. Personally, as a su.
premely simple person Qaughterl he
gave those words their plain meaning.
Therefore, he concurred with Mr. Red
mond in saying that the position of home
rule had been entirely changed by the
remarks of Lord Rosebery Monday (crles
of mo! noPD What, he asked, were the
factsp Did he understand that home
rule depended upon an English majority
In its favor? If that were the fact why
had the time of tine last session been
wasted over bill that did not yet have a
British majorityY
Why, he inquired, should the house of
lords be consulted on the question of
home ruler Mr.. Gladstone had declared
that home rule was the absolute right of
Ireland without reference to majority
of the united kingdom. For Lord Rose
berry to say that home rule could not be
granted until it had an English majority
was distinct retrogressiOn of party
policy. CHEERS from the Irish benches
His constituents had given him a positive
1 -. IL Z q IL
in the queens speech in favor of home
rule, or no distinct announcement that
the cabinet meant to fight against the
house of lords he must move an amend
ment to the address, regarding the lords,
and why should he hesitate2 (Cheers).
There could not possibly be a worse body
of men to perform what were the sup
posed duties of the second chamber, than
the present lords. He, for one, was tired
of pouring sound radical liquor into a
vat with bung, like Lord Salisbury,
ready to let it all out. NaughterJ.
1t was said that object lessons like the
lords were required by the country. The
radicals had had enough of these object
lessons and were now ready to 60 in and
fight to crush the house of lords (Cheers).
The existing state of things was intoler-
able He favored the absolute abolition
OF Ine mousse OF lOfus, DuI was still ready
to accept paralysis Of their veto power
He couldn't for a moment suppose that
lords themselves would prefer bolition
to being kept like rocks in a rookery
simply to sit and cav and complain.
(Laughter.)
Mr. Labouchere then moved an amend
ment to the address that the power now en-
joyed by persons who were not elected to
parliament by the usual process of the
franchise, yet who are able TO prevent
the passage of bills, shall cease.
Sir William Hareourt, chancellor of
the exchequer, opposed the amendment
in an impressive speech, takinu the
ground that measure of such grave
character ought to be taken only after
the most serious deliberation.
When the division was taken l47 mem
bers voted in favor of the Labouchere
amendment and 145 against it. There
was much excitement in the lobbies after
the announcement of the vote. The divi-
sion was moved purposely during the din
ner hour, when one half of the members
were absent. Mr.. Labouchere was con-