The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-10-01

~ SS1hPe>A AsoOA AG 1du luSllLuLcu U0CW0eE
Mr Gladstone and an attorney. Dur.
| ing the debate on Mr.. Giadstone's his,
torlc budget of 1S61-the budget which
abolished the stamp duties on newspa-
pers and thereby led to the establish
ment of the penny daily press-T.ord
Robert Cecil the present Lord Sails
hury), said the tactics of the chancellor
| of the eXchequer (Mr. Gladstone) were
worthier rather of an attorney than of a
statesman. The remark was not ruled
out of order by the chair, but it was re-
ceived with cries of oh! OH" and
Withdraw" from Liberal members.
Subsequently. on the night of the 18th of
, May. Lord Robert Cecil rose to make a
personal explanation in connection with
the incident. The expression | used is
thought to be violent" said he; and
when any gentleman in the heat of de-
bate drops an expression which on re-
Election he feels to be stronger than was
necessary, he ought | think, to take
the first opportunity to apologize or to
retract. (llear, hear). Therefore | feel
that am doing justice to my feelings
when ;trow that on that occasion did
great injustice Hear, hcar)--to the at
torncys. daughter and cries of oh.
OILY They are a very honorable body OF
men. and am sure" But the shouts
of di'approval from the ministerial
benches waNcd SO loud that the conclu-
sion of the sentence was lost in the re-
pUrterS gallery
II would seem that the phrase IAN
a,rorious ralumny" may be used in the
house of commons with impunity. At
any rate. on the 10Th of April. 1899.
Daniel OConnell stigmatizcd a state
ment that the Irish Catholic clergy were
ignorant. bcnighted, and immoral" as
IAN atrocous calumny, for which there
can be no excuse except Ignorance to
the extent of brutality such as was ia
miliar in Kent. which the honorable
member represents" Strong language
this, surely; but the speaker (Jamcs
Abercomby) took no action when his at
tcntion wills called to it. He probably
regarded as an cXtenuatng circumstance
the provoration of the language whci,
inspired O'Connell's full-blonded rctort.
Happily, the use of strong language in
the house of commons is occasionally
softcncd by an element of humor. On
the 18th of June, 1915. the house WAS in
committee" on the bill for establishing
0nnnn's f,nllnun in Nv
buck made an attack on Mr.. Smith
Ol'ricn. II treat his attack" said the
Irish representative, with unuttcrabIc
contempt. and accompany that contempt
with intense pity" Sir II. H. Inglis
evoked ''pcals of laughter" according To
liansard. by asking the chairman
whether any member could express ul-
ntt"rahlc contempt" The chairman
fortunately was saved from the difficulty
OF deciding the point by Mr.. Smith
O'Isrien abandoning the expression.
Major O'Gorman. an Irish member OF
the house during the los, was one of
the most amusing humorists OF the UNI
conscious order that has ever appeared
u' VII lHt .oll VI iAli
1874. there was "a debate on a motion
for the acquisition and control of Irish
railways by the government. Major
O'Gornan said that If the project were
carried out the Irish officials of the COM
pani"s would he told to go to hell or
connanght." 81 must remind the honor
able gentleman, said Mr.. Speaker Dcni-
son (who was evidently unaware that
the major had merely quoted an historic
Cromwrlinn cxprcssionl. that his Ian
i,nagc exceeds the license of parliament
tary debate" Mr.. Speaker" replied
Major OGOrnan, 'thc language ! used
was perfectly historical. II was used Ivy
the man who took the mace from off
the table. But. of course, ! will with
pleasure beg pardon if have gone be-
yund the rules"
Observations which are ruled ont OF
order by he chair are, in the ma jority
satisfied with this atoncmcnt to its Of
Tended dignity and decormm. On tn"
18TH of June 1861. the phrase scandal
Gus and unfunndr,l assertions" was APP
piled to Il speech IL was condemned by
the speaker and at once rctractcd. How.
ever some members declared themselves
,lissat iSiicd with the mere withdrawal OF
the objectionable phrase and commended
that lis, ,Hr should he visited by some
signal punishment. But the speaker
ruled otherwise "rhc honorable MEM
bcr," said he, having expressed his re-
grci for the language he used, that cN-
preston of regret must be satisfactory to
the house" If a member who has used
an unparliamcntary expression refuses
to withdraw it when ordered to do so
by the chair. he is named and sus-
pended from the service Of the house fOr
the remainder of the sitting for the first
offence, for IL week for the second Of
fence: and for IL month for the third Of
fence. "EuspcnsiOn' means an entire
exclusion for the period stated. from the
palace of Westminster
ThOma OOh N Ne,d.