Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-04-15
Triumvirate OF IncOmpetents
Ruled the RoOst i'm Later
SittiDgs.
Silence On Part OF the Ministry
Only Served to Exasperate
Radicals.
INSULT WAS OFFERED PREMIER

The British Parliament has ad-
tourned for its Easter vacation. but
the veto bill will come up for long,
hard fight as soon as the sessions
are resumed Three young Tory
members have wrested the leader
ship from Balfour. This Tory trium-
virate is made up of Lord Hugh
Cecil, Lord Castlereagh and Lord
Helmsley. During the last few days
before Parliament adjourned these
three Impaired the fiercest bitter
ness to the debate. Unable to de-
fend the House of Lords, they as
sailed the House of Commons. Dur
ing one of the night debates Lord
Hugh Cecil said:
Il wish | could persuade the
newspapers to tell the exact truth
about the House of Commons; to
exactly describe its workings to the
public; to tell that it's members do
not listen to debate but vote, on the
orders of the party whips, exactly
as they are told to vote. This House
is not deliberative assembly" Lord
Hugh continued acridly. "If you
judge it by these things you must
say 1t is corrupt assembly, for it
is influenced largely by indirect not
by direct motives" "
Arthur Balfour himself took up
the defense of the Commons against
these expressions and soundly
rated his cousin, Lord Hugh. Winston
Churchill replied to Lord Hugh's
charges that the House is corrupt
by saying icily that the only specific
accusation of corruption brought
forward in his memory was motion
submitted which complained of the
excessive number of members of the
Cecil family who had been appointed
to office
I'm the absence of lIr. Asquith.
we have to tolerate the yicarious in
science of a deputy retorted Lord
Hugh.
At this juncture he also hurled
insult across the House or Commons.
In insolent tones he asked: "Is the
Prime Minister still dining?"
In England the question is equiv
Glent 10 asking "Is Mr.. Asquith
drunk?"
On the division that followed
eighty-four of the Lords followed
Cecil and his companions into the
lobby--one-third of the Tory party
voting against Balfour.
The excitement in the lobby was
intense. Unprecedented violence was
offered to William Clougb. a Radical
member from Yorkshire. Mr..
Clough was very recently defendant
in a political libel action, during
which he gave testimony in sancti-
monious language entirely incon-
sistent with his acts. The Tories
gathered in a solid mass awaiting
Ciough's exit from the division
lobby When they espied him they
'booed," jeered him and pushed him
about. Liberals hats were knocked
off, the younger members of the
rival parties got into scrimmages and
for moment it looked as If there
would be free fight When all the
members had returned to the House
Winston Churchill angrily COM
planned to the Speaker OF the gross
organized insult" to Mr.. Clough. The
Speaker rebuked the Tories.
All this means that the hoodlum
element of the Lords is in the as
cendant. Lord Cecil has a modlcum
of ability and room fo~ much more.
He is high strung; possesses a bitter
tongue, and is woofully indiscreet.
Lord Helmsley is fat, florid and
choleric. Sometimes he is in good
humor. but is more often in a
passion. Lord Castlereagh is a type
of the unperturable British aristo-
crat He has been cultured as much
as possible, bull II seems that nature
dealt him out a short weight OF
brains.
Premier Asquith Is suffering from
a severe cold and all the other
Cabinet Ministers refuse TO answer
questions. Il was this apparent
conspiracy of silence that helped TO
annoy and exasperate the Tory
hoodlum triumyirate last week.
When the Government is convinced
that the Tories have given snffi-
cient indication 10 the country that
filibustering is their settled policy
Premier Asquith will come down
with a drastic closure and Will force
the veto bill through rapidly and
mercilesslv