The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-07-29
HOUSE OF COMMONS
A SCENE OF TURMOIL
Prime Minister Jeered by Infuriated
Opponents Compelled to Ad-
journ Sitting.
Declares Government is Determined
to Reject All Amendments
to Bill.
Crisis Foreshadows Split in Tory
Ranks-King Postpones Visit
to GOOdWOOd.

The fight over the Veto Bill has
finally resulted in one of the tiercest
scenes ever witnessed in the House
of Commons. For the first time in
the history Of Engands usually or
derly and gentlemanly assembly of
the speaker to adjourn the sitting
in Il case OF grave disorder was
i invoked. The session was called for
the purpose of considering the Veto
Bill, which the Peers had returned
amended SO as to defeat it's real OBJ
| iect. Mr.. Asquith rose to address the
asking the House to reject the amend
ments, which were intended to defeat
| the purpose of the bill.
For three quarters of an hour Mr..
| Asquith rose at short intervals and
read Il sentence or two from a manu-
script, only to be overwhelmed by
! .IceIS, IlOulIIlSS anu \il''N 'i'o'E
which traitor" was heard the most
frequently, but With "Rcdmond,' Pat
rick Ford" and "Amcrican dollars"
often distinguishablc.
! After vainly attempting to make
himself heard, Mr.. As1uith cried
! II am not going to" degrade myself.
| cbo1 CT cta ia t1n conclusion 3t
which the government has arrived
Having announced the governments
intentions as briefly and hurriedly us
possible-although they were not heard
the premier sank back into his seat
I So violt Vt were the opposition mem
bers and S.. indignant were the minis
terialists that the speaker. after two
hours. decided to suspend the sitting
to obvatc gravcr disorders. The
members dispersed amid Il scene of
violent excitement, shouts OF traitor
and Coward" following the prime min
lister as he departed, to which the
ministcrialists hurled back cries OF
you're beaten, we will win"
Mr.. Asquiths Speech.
MIR. Asuuith issued to the ncwspL-
pers a summary of the speech he was
prevented from delivering. In the
speech he contendcd that the principle
Of the machinery Of the bill had been
before the people at two elections. BY
no form of referendum devisable could
the opinion Of the electorate have been
more carefully nscertained.
The government had accepted the
important amendments in the house OF
commons: the purpose of the lords
amendments was to set the machinery
aside. The government had proposed
specifically to describe what were
finance bills: the lords proposed to
create II committee which the premier
described as a junta, to determine
what were finance bills and what
were matters OF great gravity" which
should be put before the country by
referendum. There was not a great
budget Of the last 70 years which could
not plausibly have been thrown out by
such junta.
"When you have unionist major
ty in both houses" continued the
prime minister, "thc whole thing be-
comes dead letter. Measures Of the
most far-reaching effect may be passed
in 6cfIauco nf Duhl( OuniOn and over
the heads of the electorate.
"You live under an unchecked and
undiluted single chamber government
but with the Liberal government in
power you would have a house of COM
mons, fcttered beyond all its predeces-
sors, in control of finance, and in all
cases where an irresponsible and non
representative body, independent of
both houses should so determine
every deadlock will be settled only by
referendum.
"These amendments" added Mr.. AS
quith. taken as whole, amount to
rejection of our bills" He promised
to create enough peers to insure the
, passage Of the present bill.
The more staid members Of the
Unionist party are now rcsenting the
| action of the extremists, and the fear
2 is becoming prevalent that the tories
will split in two factions.