Arizona republican., 1905-05-23
A WILD SCENE
A Riot in the English
 House of Commons
BREAKING OF A PLEDGE
On the Part of the Prime Minister Produced a Condition of Disorder Never Before Witnessed in a Law HAking Body in Great Britain.

London May 22-The sitting of the house of commons tonight was marked by the widest disorder growing out of a motion by Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman to adjourn the house in order that he might discuss the charge against Premier Balfour of having vio- lated his pledge not to deal with the subject of colonial preference without 1 first appealing to the country. Alfred Lyttleton, secretary of state for the l colonies. was put up to reply to the | liberal leader, but the members of the | opposition shouted down his every at | tempt to speak, even after the premier i had demanded a hearing for the sec i retary. Finally the speaker, after he | had exhausted every effort to quell the ! turbulence put into force for the first i time. the new rule empowering him ! to adjourn the house in cases of grave ! disorder
 The matter came up at the afternoon sitting, when Premier Balfour, reply 1 ing to questions on the subject said | he did not consider himself pledged l to inaction in regard to colonial pref 1 erence except so far as parliamentary action was concerned. He reiterated 1 lfl8I the RiNefHlIlGnI ulu nOl 1illGIlQ lO deal with the Seal question in the present parliament. The matter of CO., l lonial preference might, however. be submitted to the colonial conference in 1906, even though the country had not ] previously had an opportunity of ex- | pressing an opinion on the subject. The l decision of the conference, however. would not be binding either on the mother country or on the colonies with out executive action. Sir Henry | Campbell Zimmerman. the liberal lead CT, charged MT. BaIfour with violating 1 the pledge he made in his Edinburgh speech. and moved an adjournment of the house to discuss the matter.
 The debate on Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman's motion came up at the night session and was marked by scenes of the. widest disorder. The lib- eral leader demanded a plain answer from Premier Balfour and Alfred Lyt- telton, secretary of state for the colo nies rose to reply. Members Of the opposition drowned the efforts of the secretary with cries of ''Balfour." Bal four"
 After continuing for about ten min utes MT. Lyttelton sat down. Winston Churchill then attempted to speak, but the ministerialists drowned his efforts, the nationalists joining in the disturb ance and shouting for the police.
 After a number of men had failed to secure a hearing the premier rose to a point of order and a temporary Hull followed Mir Balfour said he thought
 it highly improper that he should be
 expected to follow the leader of the
 opposition. He had never before
 known the opposition to refuse to hear
 a minister and he insisted that the
 house should hear Secretary Lyttelton as otherwise the dignity of the house , could not be maintained
 Mir LYttelton again made an at , tempt to speak, but the uprOar was , renewed. Finally the speaker said il . was obvious that the scene could not . continue and he would therefore adjourn the house under the rules en-
 towering the speaker to take such ac-
 ton in cases of grave disorder. The
 speaker had been unable to secure ever
 a semblance of order after the howls
 and counter howls lasting over al
 hour
 The motion of the speaker and tine
 scenes in the house created a tremen- z dous sensation in the Hobbies. whicf
 were crowded with members discussing
 every phase of the evenings occur rences. which were declared to be un'
 precedented-
 The galleries were filled with peer: I and other distinguished persons whC -- -- gathered in the hope of hearing an in = teresting debate on the fiscal question
 They took part in the cries for theil ' favorites. thus adding to the disturb . ance and afterwards joined the ex = cited crowds in the Hobbies.
 Tonight's unprecedented and undig' = nified scenes in the house of common! ' grew to some extent out of the Bal
 four Chamberlain controversy with ar
 addition of heat engendered on the op'
 position side by the premier's alleged
 breach of his pledge not to deal witt . the subject of colonial preference with out first appealing to the country. The
 members generally were in feverish ex-
 pectation that the debate would indi- rectly provide terms of MT. Balfour': :. answer to MT. Chamberlain's compro-
 mise proposals.
 , It was also indicated that MT T, Chamberlain himself would make ar important speech on the fiscal question f Then when Secretary Lyttelton was
 put up to speak instead of MT. Bal ! four a storm burst forth such as has
 not been seen in the house of commons
 since the days of the GladStoniaT F Irish debate. The opposition interpre- Q ted the governments course as an at
 tempt to stifle the discussion, although
 moderate members admit that MT. Bal
 fours attitude was correct. The pre-
 mier himself in appealing to the house z to permit MT. Lyttelton to speak
 maintained that he (the premier) was
 "a prisoner in the dock" and ought Q not to be put on his defense until ht
 had heard the accusations against him
 I@11I r Zimmerman taunted him with being tht sole cause of the disorder and MT. Bal T four flashed rather an angry reply the oI premier was most composed through
 out the sitting. MT. Lyttelton alsC