The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-07
The CIoture in Great Britain.

Like the American House of RepreSen-
tatives, the British House of Commons
has its cloture rule but, unlike its els
Atlantic prototype, the latter never uses
the power to cut off legitimate debate.
1t is only when there is deliberate at
tempt to prevent the House from trans
acting business that cloture is attempted.
Never before had the rule been invoked
in circumstances as interesting as those
which marked the session of the Com
mons on Tuesday evening.
! on that fateful occasion the National
! list group of members concluded that the
educational bill. then under dis cussion.
was not liberal enough to certain Catholic
schools in the matter of appropriations,
and thereupon proceeded to obstruct its
passage-not in the American way. but
in one which seems to be normal on the
other side. namely, by interrupting
speakers, and INDUCING in ejaculatory
remarks of an unpleasant nature. and by
the creation of disorder and confusion.
At midnight Mr. Ralfour moved cloture.
at which the Nationalists relieved their
pent-up feelings by groans and shouts of
Gag"
When there is division in the House
of Commons the members retire to lob
bies reserved respectively for the Gov
eminent and Opposition parties. and are
then counted. On Tuesday night the Ma
tionalists refused to leave their seats.
conduct which placed them in contempt
of the House. They continued intracta-
BILE and declined to move. After the other
members had returned from the Hobbies,
the Speaker named twelve of the recall
citrants and requested them to leave the
hall. To this instruction they replied
with shouts and jeers. and cries of Send
for Lord Roberts, Bring on your po-
licei' and such amenities.
The Speaker was disinclined to resort
to force but finally, after several min
utes of wild disorder. he directed the ser
geant-at-arms and messengers to remove
the disturbers bodily, a feat which was
found to be beyond their strength One
and wrapped himself around leg of the
bench on which he ND been sitting. Four
messengers were unable to dislodge him.
His comrades. our dispatches tell us.
surged around and cheered his heroic If
undigniied efforts. Then the police were
called. In the language of Thackeriy's
famous poem:
They beat the ratattOo.
And the Peelers came in view;
And that ended the shaloo,
On Shannon shore
The shaloo was not ended however
without some further difficulty. The
police soon disposed of the honorable
member who was on the floor hugging his
bench: but, before they finished, they had
to carry ont twelve struggling. kicking.
screaming. fighting gentlemen whose
arms and legs acted like windmills in
the hands of the ''bluebottles."
All this must have been delight to
the galleries If at that uncanny hour Of
night there were people to fill them. In
this country seats at such an exhibition
would be worth twenty dollars apiece.
and standing room only, ten dollars. The
episode tends to make one think that.
after all. there may be more lawless
Legislative bodies than are to be found
In the United States The contrast to
the peaceful and lamblike methods of
our House of Representatives is "A strik-
Ing one, and not at all unfavorable to the
latter, as far as decorum is concerned
The Opposition in our Commons never
think of raising a disturbance. They
know that to do such thing would ex-
pose them to the punishment of being
left out in the cold at the ensuing d.
vision of places committees Then
again. minorities in this country always
feel that there is more to be made by
members personally in holding out the
olive branch TO the power of the ma
jority than by obstruction. 1t is true that
the olive branch frequently takes the
form of a hat held out for what may be
dropped in it, but the principle Is the
same.
We must say this. however, for the bold
and unterrified Irish members of. The
House Of Commons: If there had been a
dozen Democrats in the Fifty-frst Con-
@ress as brave and reckless of conse-
Guences. IT is possible that Thomas r
Reed might not have been able as easily
IS he was to subvert and extinguisb the
rights and liberties of the popular branch