The Irish standard., 1901-04-06

natural ebulliton of feeling. IL 1t
was an isolated instance of closure
would not use that epithet; but this
closure on Tuesday night was part and
parcel of Il deliberate system of clo-
sure put into operation (cheers). We
| were told that discussion on the esti-
mates must be scamped because GER
tain financial arrangements must be
made before the 31st of March, the
House having met on the 14th OF Feb
ruary. Next year. perhaps, the House
Won't meet until the list of March. No
sir. that is no argument The fact is,
there has been on the part of the gov
crnmrnt and tho majority Of this
House for number of years past, a
deliberate system put OH foot to stife
the voice OF independent criticism upon
estimates, and to reduce to absolute
nullity the first and greatest consti-
t,ltionnl right of this countrythc dis
cuSSion OF grievances before voting
money (hcnr. hear. assert deliber-
ratcly that the whole moral RESPONSE
bility of what occurred last Tuesday
night rests upon tho leader OF the
House 0oud Irish cheers. The leader
ship OF the House is a post Of great
responsibility. not merely responsibility
to the government to see business
through successfully. hut to maintain
the higher and wider responsibility
for the freedom, efficiency, and dignity
of the House (cheers); and say, from
the double point of view-both of the
interest of the government and the
wider interest of this assembly-he Is
morally responsible for what occurred
cloud Irish chccrs). have been in
this House for Il considerable number
of years. and my experience has been
this. that no government has ever In
the long run gained by what may call
parliamentary sharp practice by at
tempting to deprive the voice OF inde-
pendent criticism of It's utternnce
(cheers). Any such attempt that I
have ever witnessed from either of the
great English parties has recoiled upon
them, and that is the case in point.
Sir, what has the government gained
by it's closure of this sum of seventeen
millions? 1t was done, we were told,
in the interest of time, and what is the
result? That you have dislocated the
entire of your program of business and
you have to give up another day to this
most thorny and most dangerous sub
of the House OF Commons as IL great
deliberative assembly which boasts It,
self the mother Of parliaments, what is
the result? Sir, regard the action Of
the right honorable gentleman from
the point Of view Of the English parlia
ment as absolutely vital. Does the
saving Of few hours, even If you sue
cecd in saving them, compensate you
for having the credit and renown Of
this assembly dragged into the mire
: as 1t was on Tuesday night Orish
: cheers and ministerial counter cheers),
: and as 1 venture to assert, dragged In
the mire as it is being tonight when
you are pressing this monstrous pro-
posal (renewcd cheers and counter
cheers). Year by year you have been
lowering and degrading the status of
chcers). Step by step you have been
deprlving it Of it's historical rights and
freedom. If I were to regard this
solely from an Irish Nationalist point
9 of view, l might perhaps find in that
! fact some consolation Grish cheers),
I: because after having robbed Ireland Of
t her own parliament, and having COM
7 PEELED us to come across the water
: here to your parliament, it cannot but
f, be some consolation for us to find that
the price you have paid is high one.
, ! ask the House seriously for mo-
ment. is there no remedy possible for
the state of things that have arisen ex-
ccpt the enactment of this penal regu-
: latiOn. Sir, | would say respectfully
7 to the House of Commons the remedy
! is to be found, not in this penal regu-
: lation, which, however you may devise
: fit, may be broken, and If this system
1 goes on, undoubtedly, in the future,
in some time it will be broken (hear,
| hear. The remedy lies in more COIL
2 siderate government of the affairs of
G the House, and III the abstention from
e tyrannical interference with the fair
: liberty Of discussion (cheers). Sir, I
] believe that this proposal is unneccs-