The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-05-25
ER0SSA In PARLIAMENT
Sensational Incidents In Connec-
nection With His Visit to
the Commons.
Manages to Pay an Ironical Com
pliment to the ..Gallant"
Saunderson.
A Very Exciting Scene When lie
Attempted to Address
the House.

1 @ Attempted to Address
the House.
O'ponovan Rossa was present In the
house Of commons OH Tuesday evening
May 4, and the visit created a good deal
of interest in the lobby, especially pc
cause of the somewhat curious Incidents
1 surrounding it. The first man who was
sent for by the veteran Irish rebel was
4 Mr.. Henry Matthews, the late Tory home
secretary, and the "Fenian member" for
/ Dungarvan from 1863 to 1874. Mr.. Mat
| thews came to the outer lobby and re-
mained in conversation with Rossa TOT
| some minutes 1t was stated afterwards
that Mr.. Matthews was not aware Of the
identity of his visitor, but that Is not the
case. He knew perfectly we'll that he
/ was going to see O'Donoyan Rosa. Ros-
sa remained in the house afterwardss for
l a considerable time. This was not his
! first visit to the house Of parliament
/ since his return from exile. He was
present during the home rule debate on
the address, which was raised by Mr..
j. Redmond in February last, and was
| there and then convinced that home rule
would not be secured under the present
regime. Rossa finishes his lecturing
tour. in England on Monday next when
he is to speak in the Bermondsey town
hall. The tour has been in the main
successful.
The Dublin Freeman correspondent
gives the following account Of the visit:
Mr.. .O'Donovan Rossa paid a visit to
the house of commons yesterday after
noon under rather amusing circumstan-
ces. He first of all sent in his card to
Mr.. James O'Connor, who, however, had
not yet arrived, as business had not be-
gun, The card was returned, and then
Mr., Rosa sent it to Col. saunderson. de-
string to pay an ironica1 compliment to
| that gallant member, who has been a
most devoted student Of his speeches and
writings. The gallant colonel, as not
unfrequently happens, was absent. and
the, attendant conceiving that the card
would be Of interest on the Irish benches,
passed it to some members who were sit
ting there AS it was addressed to no
one in particular, it struck one Of them
to carry the joke a step further, and ne
scribbled, ITO the Rt. Hon. Henry Mat
thews" upon it's back. It was duly
handed to Mr.. Matthews, who evidently
! doubted his own eyes when he read It,
He simply gasped with astonishment
and turned it over and over in a gingerly
fashion, as though he thought 1t was
possibly some form of explosive missiTe.
| When he had reassured himself on this
point a smile began to creep over his
rpbicund countenance. The hn,nor OF
the situation began to dawn on him,
and he gave the bit of pasteboard to Mr..
Balfour. who was beside him. Mr.. Bal
four raised his eyebrows, grinned broad
". and then rubbed the tip of his nose
violently several times with his hand
kerchief, as he always does when ne IS
| amused. Mr.. Goschen was next shown
the card and he peeTed at it.. Then tney
all three put their heads together, ana
the result was that Mr.. Matthews rose
with that peculiar jerky motion OF his
from his seat, as though he were bend
ing his muscles preparatory to double
somersault, and went out to receive MS
unexpected guest. When the policeman
called the name of Mr.. O'Donovan Rossa'
in the outer lobby the crowd OF strangers
looked am azed, but Mr.. Matthews well
I, ic,I
rim to q seat in the corridor leading to
the members lobby. They had only
exchanged a few words when Mr.. Mat
thews began to scent something wrong,
Tor. Of course, Mr.. Rossa addressed him
az though he were Col. Saunderson.
"But il am not Col. Saund derson, pro-
tested Mr.. Matthews, my name is Mat
fthews.'' "Do you tell me SO, rejo1ned
Rossa, aand are you Dungarvan Mat
theWs?'' The ex-Tory home secretary
admitted the soft impe hment, and see
ING that the conversation was inclined
to stray in the direction Of unpleasant
"reminiscences he asked Rosa whether
he could get him q seat in the gallery.
What would have come of this strange
colIoauy it is impossible to say had not
Mr.. Jas. O'Connor come out at that mo-
ment and Mr.. Matthews handed over.
Rossa to his care Mr.. Rosa did not
90 into any of the galleries, but went
downstairs to the smokeroOm, where he
ssu several Irish members throughout
the evening. He quite enjoyed the joke
hy which he had been brought into con-
tact with Ills seulogist of 1868, "Dungar-5
van Matthews, z as he had aptly called
him. He expressed a particular de-
| sire. i believe, to meet Nj. Labo,l o,lchere3