Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-19
SOME GREAT CH h. N
r. p. o,coSNon VOICES s1GN1F1-
CANOE OF THURSDAYS SCENE.
in THE HOUSE OF COMMONS j!
How Honest Passion and Indienn-
ton, Created by Oppression, Can
Cow the Most Powerful Of Tyran-
CANOE OF THURSDAYS SCENE.
in THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
How Honest Passion and Indienn-
ton, Created by Oppression, Ca

member of Parliament, has written for
the Associated Press his impressions OF
the scene caused by the Irish members
in the House of Commons Thursday, and
what he believes it portends, as follows:
SYMPTOM OF POLITICAL CONDITION.
Il have seen many strange and ex-
citing scenes in the House of Commons
but that Of Thursday was the most
strange and most exciting. 1t deserves
to the present political condition. John
lODonnell, the chief character therein,
is not the kind Of a man one would eA-
pect to sec figure in such a scene 10
see this ordinarily quiet young man ad-
dressing the whole house for a quarter
of an hour amid din which was tenn
pestuous, and in violation of every rule
of order, with the Speaker, ministers,
and all shouting, and the majority help
less, and then afterwards, to see him cross
the floor of the House, and. standing IN
front of the Prime Minister, who sat pal
lid, with a sick1y smile on his face,-to
see this was one of the most curious
proofs Of how honest passion and 1ndlS-
nation. created by oppression, can COW
even the most powerful Of tyrannies
A TERRIBLE SCENE.
"Of all the points OF that terrible scene,
for it was terrible, the most remarkable
was the absolute helplessness, the cowed
action of the Unionist majority. so dl-
vided and harassed by the sense OF IT.
resistable doom coming hourly upon their
leaders, that they cannot conceal their
depression, and are made impotent by
panic. And there was the other reason
that the spectre of ireland. which was
supposed to be laid to rest, had risen
again. more menacins than ever.
PERSECUTION WORTHY OF RUSSIA.
"And finally, there was. perhaps some
sense Of shame at the feeling that this
man, who was calling for the right to be
heard in the House Of Commons had been
gagged in Ireland by systematic persecu-
ton worthy of Russia at her worst.
He has spent eighteen months in Jail
during the last three or four years, and
has been dragged from platforms by the
police before he opened his lips, and he
was recently subjected to sentence
which is an example of deliberate fero-
city, his last sentence of six months. Oc-
tober 18th, having been so given by the
magistrate that ODonnell has to spend
six weeks on a plank bed and nine days
on bread and water.
MINISTERIALISTS COWED.
"lAll tbs suffering Of the past and to
come was written in legible letters on the
pale face and in the excited eyes of this
ordinarily quiet gentleman. This, per-
haps, was why the ministerialtsts sat
COW ed helpless, and abashed at the scene,
one of the signs of some great, coming
change.
1T is impossible to fortell what it viii
DC, but, for a good reason, Irish hope 1t
may take the shape of startling 81
gantic surrender. One of the most I'M
of inc
out of ten landlords to attend confer
ence with the Irish leaders.
POLITICIANS FIRST.
.'The movement is only kept from tri-
umph from the fact that the leaders Of
the landlords are wealthy, with estates
in England and are therefore independent
of Irish agita ton, and because they are,
besides. politicians first and landlords
afterwards Every thinking man. wheth-
er landlord or tenant, believes that Two
to three years purchase and small grant
from the Imperial Exchequer are all now
standing between Ireland and a final set
Element of the land question, and the re-
conquest of the land by the Celts from
the English garrison.
THINK SURRENDER INEVITABLE
Among those who think that glgantlc
surrender is inevitable at an early Gay
is I have reason to believe. the Irish
Chief Secretary, Mr.. Nyndham hlmsel1
He urged the landlords to consent to
conference, even travelling long distances
to their homes in order to put personal
pressure on them. He has already an
nounced that here will be a bigger land
bill next year and have heard he has
said privately that coercion might De
over in three weeks in case of certain
events, whereby I understood he meant
that if the landlords and tenants agree on
a common basis Of settlement
PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNMENT.
IN the meantime, pressure on the gov
eminent is coming from various quarters
It is doubtful if the government can carry
the educational bill without violent cio-
sure which may lead to scenes inside the
House by the English non-conformlsts
very like those caused by O'Donneli, SO
vehement is party passion; and outside IT
NAV produce outbreaks in England. also
on the Irish pattern. The attempt to
force the Irish members into the minis
terial lobby on the educational bill, died
on the first night Of the session when MI
Balfour insulted Ireland by refusing 70
give her a day to voice her wrongs.
THE GOVERNMENT DOOMED.
'To sum up, the Irish members feel that
thew have scored. Nobody has a good
word to say FOR the maladroit antics OF
Mr.. Balfour The government is threat
ened from many quarters and is divided
and is. I believe. doomed. while Ireland
has once more rushed into the foremost
place in the great drama of British poll
tics