Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-06-25
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION
OF Scenes in Parliament While the
kinu Lay Stricken.

London, June 24.-Of the scene in the
House Of Commons when the announce
mcnt of the illness of King Edward
was made, T. Z. O'ConnOr, Irish Ma
tionalist member and president of the
United Irish League, has written the
following account for The Associated
Press:
The Worls-a-day world goes on in its
usual way, whatever tragedy be in the
mir, and this is especially true Of the
House Of Commons, which is even yet
bound down with the iron rules that no
high destiny or national crisis can un-
bind.
Thus it was, today, when the whole
world of London was shaken by the
announcement of the postponement Of
the coronation and the serious illness
Of the King, for while everybody was
waiting to see the ministers enter and
to hear some news one way or the
other. a clerk at q table read out the
words Of petition from a provincial
town council in reference to the pend
ing education bill.
The education bill is important, bu5
To have this petition with its dreary
tautology read when the fate of the
monarch was in the balance, was ono
of those gTotcsque contradictions which
xasperatad ana finally got on the
nerves Of the House.
.'As the clerk read stolidly on in q
munled voice. the House began at last
to interrupt him with discordant and
even indecorous cries. But in spite Of
all this and in spite even of the gro
tesque House, there was that about the
place which showed that something was
in the air that shocked, saddened and
even affrighted men.
lit is no eXaggera ton to say that
there avs a look Of far more of depres-
sion about the House than even in
those awful and trying hours for Eng
| lishmen when the disaster of ColensO
and Spion Hops seemed to make the
whole fabric of the empire reel. Many
of the members looked positively
broken. They entered the House as if
| the illness were theirs and as if a blow
had fallen upon them.
The local petition was at last finish
| cd, the cries ceased, and there fell a
sonlbre and solemn stiffness on the
House when Mr.. Balfour and the other
ministers filed in. spontaneously and
| universally hats We're taken off when
| Mr. BaIfogr rose and announced that
| he had Il message to deliver in refer
ence to the King. The House of Com
mons always looks its best. and most
| impressive when it is thus uncovered.
| 1t is the custom for hats to be kept on
and therefore the mere act of uncover
ing heads gives to the familiar place a
certain unusualness of look and n Ger
tain solemn eXaltation, and so it was.
tday. when Mr.. Ralfour rose.
Mr.. BalfOur is not 4 man who ever
shows much feeling. AS is said Of him
by some of his most severe critics he
has much sentiment but no feeling. To-
day. however, nobody could deny that
for once Mr. Balfour seemed to be
moved. and it was with something of
a break in his voice that he announcesi
tbs. seriousness of the Kings condition
and the fact that the operation had
been already performed.
There was no display of feeling until
Mr.. Balfour came to the point where he
foreshadoWed the statement that the
surgeons were hopeful of the result. 1t
was an evidence of how keen the feel
ing was that he was not allowed to con-
clude his sentence. There was an an
ticilatory and big outburst of cheers
from all PARTS Of the House.
"Mr. Balfour's statement occupied
but few moments and 1t was followed
by a few words from Sir Henry Camp
bell -Bannerman, the leader of the op-