The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-16
BALFOUR'S CABINET IS
BEATEN IN COMMONS BY
THOSE TERRIBLE IRISH"
Nationalists Aid the Liberals in
Striking Blow at the Tory
Ministry.
NO CHANGE AT PRESENT
Mr. Balfour viii Not Resign
Only Eleven Majority Against
the Government.

LONDON, March 15.-Premier Balfour' S
government to-day was defeated in the
House of Commons by the combined Liberal
and Nationalist vote. This reverse was due
to the prohibition by Mr.. Wyndham chief
secretary for Ireland on the teaching of
Gaelic in the junior grades OF the Irish
nationalist schools. Mr.. Balfour though
defeated by Il majority of eleven on this
question, does not regard the vote as one
or want of confidence and he will not re-
sign on this account His determination
not to resign strengthened by the fact
that shortly after the foregoing defeat he
was able to secure a majority of twenty
five.
The failure of the government to carry
the House with it on a question OF purely
administrative policy i'm it's Irish depart
ment is generally admitted 10 greatly weak
en- it's already waning prestige with the
country, although il is not thought prob
able that any Immediate development will
ensue. In the House of Commons itself,
to use the words Of a nrominent member of
the opposition, all the artillery In the gov
ernment arsenals would not make them sur
render office"
The AsTociated Press learns that Premier
Balfour cegards IL as one of the essential
principles of his party to hold on to the
reins of government for the present at any
rate. What he may do after Easter still re-
mains in doubt. The blow administered to-
day makes the premiers task of holding his
party together doubly difficult and many
supporters of the government frankly said
tonight that they favored an early disso-
luton OF Parliament rather than again
|. undergo the humiliation experienced to-day.
THOSE TERRIBLE IRISH"
Those terrible Irish," as they are de-.
scribed for the moment by the Unionists,
were entirely responsible for Mr.. Balfour' s
defeat. On the question of Catholic educa-
ton Monday night the Nationalists had
voted with the Unionist government, but
even while so doing they were planning the
downfall of the Conservatives This after
noon the mine so ingeniously laid was set
off with success that thrilled the country
The strategy with which the whole coup
was planned and the scenes that marked its
elimination recalled the times when Glad
stone and Parne.l waged Titanic struggle
in the same arena.
When the House of Commons met at
o'clock this afternoon the metropolis was
steeped in its usual murky tranquility.
Scattered throughout the clubs. hotels and
restaurants the UnlonlStS cOmmoners Ian
guidly discussed the war news and every
thing else except politics. All thought
that the Irish members would take up the
whole of the parliamentary afternoon with
a verbose discussion of a question of but
little interest except to the speakers them
selves. In this serenity of the luncheon
hour hordes of newspaper boys suddenly
appeared yelling THE government de-
fea ted
The early afternoon papers only gave the
figures of the voting on division and read
ers were left TO guess whether or not the
government had resigned a wild rush was
made for the House OF Commons and many
elderly members ran half a ruie or more,
while others drove recklessly to Westminis-
ter.
Within the House of Commons itself
strange scenes were being enacted. An un-
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