Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-15
Leader Redmond Secures De-
feat of the Government.
FORCED A DIVISION
TOOK THE MAJORITY OPPOSITION
BY SURPRISE.
Vote Occurred in a Discussion OF the
Education Bill-Opportunity Used
for Airing Grievances.

LONDON, March 1J.-The government
was defeated in the house of commons to-
day by 141 to 1870 votes. on a motion OF john
Redmond, the Irish leader, for reduction
of the Irish education estimates
AS it was in the nature of a snap division
engineered by the nationalists the govern
ment refused to resign. but it Is regarded
as another straw showing the dlrection Oh
the wind.
Mr.. Redmonds motion was made with the
object of calling attention to Irish grew
ances The division was taken almost I'M
mediately after the commencement VI lhe
discussion when the liberals and nation
alists were In strong force The result was
greeted with gieat cheering, especially from
the Irish benches.
The opposition Immediately moved to re-
port progress. Premier Balfour opposed the
motion. He admitted, amidst much laugh,
ter, that it obvious the government hao
been defeated on a proposal to reouce d
vote by $500 but there was considerable
amount of financial business to be trans
acted before March 81, and he did not see
why any time should be wasted
Balfour Accepted Opinion of House.
Mr.. Balfour added that the honorable
member had succeeded in reducing the vote
for Irish education by $780, and the govern
ment accepted the opinion of the house on
the subject
Mr.. Redmond retorted: I'VE have de-
feated the government
It was then that Mr. Redmond moved to
report progress. This was defeated by III
to 146 votes the government majority Delng
%.
The government in the interim nad sue
ceeded in mastering enough ministerlailsts
to save the situation, as III tie event OF d
second adverse vote the ministers "ouio
have been bound to resign.
Coup by Redmond.
The defeat of the government was the
result of a successful coup planned by MI.
Redmond and the senior whip of the Irish
parliamentary party. Sir Thom mas Esnoiloe'
yesterday afternoon.
Seeing short list of questions for today,
and knowing that the majority of the house
expected the Irish members to occupy dil
the afternoon in discussing Irish education,
Mr. Redmond and Sir Thomas decided TO
force division alm6 st Immediately after
questions time, when the greater number
of the government supporters would still be
quietly lunching at their clubs. The ma
neuyer succeeded to perfection.
Mr. Redmond rose holding a large smear
of notes in his hand, as If intending 10
make a lengthy speech. but to the astonish-
ment of all except those in the secret, the
Irish leader spoke only few words ana
then sat down. while his party demanded
the division for which such careful plans
had been laid.
Exciting Scene.
A scene of Understandable excitement oc-
Cured when Sir Thomas Esmonde and
Anthony j. Donelan, the two tellers, went
| to the right of the speakers chair, thus
! showing that for the first time in many
| years the unionist government had been
beaten.
| When the clerk of the house handed the
division paper to Sir Thomas Esmonde
| there was a perfect hurricane OF cheers
| from the opposition. lasting several MN
| utes. William Redmond in his exuberance
| snatched a hat from the head or COZ
| league and waved 1t wildly.
The members rushed in and terrible din
! prevailed.
Ultimately sufficient quiet was restored to
| enable the figures of the vote to be called
| out.
Mr.. Balfour. who was in the distinguished
| strangers gallery at the time, appeared
| momentarily astonished at the jVbilant
| uproar
Another Message for Joe.
| The cheering of the opposition re-
sumed when Mr.. Balfour entered the cham
! Der. and he was greeted with deris.ve
cheers and cries of Resign and An
| other message for Joei'
The premier. who had by this time re-
| gained his accustomed composure, phio-
| sophically surveyed the excited house.
| The long-sustained iubilation did not tend
| to the advantage of his opposition. The
| government whips had time to collect their
| disordered forces from all parts of the
J house and various hauntS in London. Driy-
| ing and running furiously came the sedate
| supporters of the present government
| John Gordon MacNeill (nationalist. who
| designated the defeat IAN end to the farce
unintentionaly gave the government fur
| Their advantage by a too lengthy speech
| and when another division was taken on
| the motion to report progress Mr. Balfour
had twenty-five votes to the good
Redmond's Statement.
| John Redmond said to representative of
| the Associated Press subsequent to the H.
vision:
| TO sum up briefly the cause of the diyi-
! SION 1t may be said that the government
recently introduced rule forbidding teach
| ing Irish in four of the first classes of the
| Irish national schools. This caused wide
| spread indignation, to voice which | moved
| for a reduction of the vote
Mr.. Wyndham. chief secretary for Ire
land, gave no satisfactory explanation and
we defeated the government AS result
of the defeat the objectionable rule un-
doubtedly will be withdrawn.
Possibility of Dissolution.
while the general position of the gov
eminent has not been weakened, my i'm
| preston is that dissolution will follow
| another such blow. Naturally we are
elated. Yesterday evening when the ma
tionlists voted with the government on
Catholic education I'm England Mr. BAL
four had a majority of 10 Today. with
the Irish against him. he had a minority of
eleven. The moral Is that the time is 1t
hand when Ireland will hold the balance of
power
Consols dropped A. from $685. on the an
nouncement of the defeat of the govern
ment.