Omaha daily bee., 1907-05-08

by the leaders OF the liberal party dealing /
with the Irish home rule question. When /
Premier Gladstone's ministry IN 1885 aban-
doned the policy Of coercion and imprison- |
ment and resolved TO give ireland legisla-
tive independence, a split in the cabinet
and the party resulted In the defeat OF the
measure in the commons by a narrow mar
gin OF thirty votes. Twenty-one years
later, to avoid a similar detection In the
cabinet. Premier Campbell Bannerman sub
mits ian installment Of home rule"
measure Of administration minus legisla-
tive power or privilege. The dispatches re-
late how the latest measure was presented
For purposes Of comparison 1t Is instruc-
tive to recall the historic scene in west
minister on April s, 1886, when Prime Min
lister Gladstone presented for the hrst
time the olive branch Of peace and good
will to the Irish people.
The scene is thus described by Justin
Mccarthy: 1.-THE history OF modern times
affords no parallel to the exciting scene
which the House OF Commons presented on
that afternoon. There were many members
whose memories of the struggles on that
battle-ground went back to the days Wheh
Lord Palmerston was summarily dismissed
from office in 1851, and to the wild excite
ment WHICH IOliONeu MI Afo"N ANNN
more that Roman triumph, when his purple
face and silver hairs famed comet-hke
across the political horizon, and carried
destruction to Mr.. Gladstone's government
in it's wake. There are even some who re-
called the feveTish passions, the bitter
anlmosties and fiery enthusiasms OF the
days of the first reform bill But no mans
memory could conjure from the past any
scene of excitement comparable TO that
which st. Stephens witnessed on that
memorable Thursday.
when the time came for the speakers
little procession to enter the CHAMBER II
seemed to be threading its way with dif-
ficulty through a human sea. The House
has been crowded before often enough dur
ing its history. Recent years have more
than once witnessed occasions on when II
has been described as full to OVERCOMING
But such fullness was almost emptiness as
contrasted with the choking closeness win
which 1t was packed April 8, 1886. The
! officials of the House have assured curious
| inauirers that never before has there oeen
any instance of the floor OF the House
| being filled with chairs for the accommoda-
ton of its members. There were twenty
eight chairs on the floor on Thursday
| Could their number have been multiplied
by ten they would not have been equal
| to the demand there was for them. One
of the most peculiar features of the event
was the voluntary suffering which lesls-
Iators inflicted upon themselves In order 70
obtain good places for the great occasion
One member actually got to Westminster
at half past in the morning; the majority
Of the Irish members were there by D.
| Mennbers who arrived at found that they
were too late to obtain good seat ana
nv a little after o'clock there was not
place of any kind to be had Such un-
wonted attendance was decisive tribute
IN the absorbing interest Of the day.
",The espect OF the chamber when MT.
Gladstone entered was exceptionally curl
ous Almost all those on his own side' even
rebellious wings and dsaffected RADICALS
rose to their feet and hailed him with APP
pIause-an example that was instantly fol-
lowed by all the Irish members by an
odd chance the composition OF the House
was such that It appeared as II the who're
House rose to greet Mr.. Gladstone Inc
explanation OF this curious phenomenon
was in this wise: The Irish members pres
ent in full force had not only occupied all
, the seats below the gangway on the OPP
nosition side OF the house, but had no"eo
across the Rubicon of the gangWay aho
occupied a surprisingly large proportion OF
the seats above 1t. Thus a large pulk Oh
the conservative members were driven into
the unper galleries, into the twenty-eigh'
/ soats on the floor of the House, and into
s+ardirs nIaces below the bar and behind
the speakers chair.
"The oratorical capacity OF MT Iiau
r stone WAS never more strikingly mantes
than during the course of the three hour'
r ard twenty-five minutes which ms speeci
occunied. He was excessively pale ana MI
, voice was very hoarse at hrst' Out ne soo'
assumed complete command over lts lohe
e and then the House listened 10 one Oh tn
a s,roa+ast sneeches of our century. The In
eac+ions of the voice were marvehouslI
controlled; the tones rose ana rei' now II
,,hot seemed almost sbyllic exultation
anon diving down to some pathetic Whisper
-, hu, \Derfectly audible, every sestur'
I T,rtber,ne the dramatic intensity OF TN
t Ids the speaker was using. On Mr.
s C,adstone,s own following the prime min
e ster played as upon some faVorite His'I =
y r,ent Even the large proportion Oh III
: disafrected forgot their differences lot III
= ,lo,,,art-actually lost their heads unde
}. 49,. rIar,our of the performance-an'
= / ,...oa as lustily as the rest Ohly III
y en,sar,,atives sat stifiy and unmoved'
5 oNa,tber the history of the reign nor IN
= btstorv Of the century affords any paralle
s 80 The scene Ct this day. The RECORDS
! contemporary events afford many eNaI LlAe
/ 80 orest ard stirring moments In the enron
: 80 ~ the commons chamber al "es'
It '..ar Rut the rise of no measure an
: - - No minister have ever stirre
~ stanben's to such fever-fire OF excite
$50 az that which animated a.
,hro,,gb the long hours Ct that Thursaay
,ta Ne,tber the introduction OF the mrs
= .aSorr1 hin. with all the fervid emotions
,ha consequent debates, nor the excitement
- s,cb parliamentary catastrophies as IN
r ,,-s'issoi NJ Lord Palmerston In 1881 an
d the defeats of Mr., Gladstone In 100 an
= , ,n can he fairly said to offer even dis
d 80 narallel TO the passions the enthu
lie 80. .,,',, Inc fear and hope and fury ana eN
20 ,,Itat,on which swept the SURFACE an
n .'@-aS the DEPTHS Of the greatest legisls
49,. 'assen,bIpge Of modern times
)f Premier Gladstone's cohciuuihs "uul
& saII,,ered June s. 1886 His peroratio
-e " ,ronnounced by the lamented Micha'
e Da,,itt ",pcomparable in the eloquence
N 80 action ana in the magic influence OF II
Ia#