The Irish standard., 1912-11-23
THE SPEAKER or
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Declined to Expel the Tory Party
in a Body and Forced Asquith
to Compromise.
Defeat of Liberals Only Temporary
Setback, Says T. P. O'Connor in
Chicago Tribune.
Tory Hooliganism Has Done Good
in Exciting a Fighting Spirit
in the Liberals.

Ill iACllluS d ElSllIluS oplll
in the Liberals.
Seldom has England had more ex-
citing week than the last. The Tory
coup, leading to u defeat of the gov
ernment Monday afternoon, was one
of the best managed surprises of mod
ern times, says Z. Z. OConnor in the
Chicago Tribune of last Sunday.
The plot was weeks in preparation,
and the Tories were summoned from
all parts Of the kingdom at the last
moment, and some had to travel hun
dreds of miles in motor cars TO teach
London in time. The fatal amend
nent was handed in in manuscript
form at the last moment, and the Lib
cral whips were so unWepared that
they allowed several of the Liberal
members to leave the House of Com
division.
The first effect of the defeat was
overwhelming, some of the leading
men even thinking the Home Rule bill
was killed. This mood passed rapidly
when Premier Asquith, who remained
cool throughout, announced the deter
mination of the government not to
resign but to confront the situation
boldly. Two difficulties presented
themselves. The first was the anti
quated rukes of tho House, which rails
cd stone walls against the resembling
OF the motion, and secondly, was the
enormous power of Speaker Lowther
of the Commons in such situation.
Asquith Chooses Direct Way.
Asquith Immediately chose the most
drastic and straightforward method Of
meeting the difficulty by a resolution
simply resembling the motion and he
obtained the consent OF the speaker
to this resolution as entirely in order
The Orangemen, who have been kept
under pressure since the opening of
the debates on the Home Rule bill,
often have tried to meet the situation
with organized violence. but Bonar
, Law, opposition leader, though not un-
favorable to this course, was over
ruled by A. J. Balfour and the other
more cautious Tory leaders, and he
held them in leash.
But the exultation of the Orangemcn
over the unexpected victory broke all
bounds, and Bonar Law gave the direct
advice to his followers to start rioting.
This command was taken up eagerly
and for some hours there were scenes
Of violence in action and language all
most unexampled in the history of the
, British parliament.
Speaker Forces Compromise.
The newspapers did not dare repro
duce some of the terms used by tho
Tories, even by men Of brilliant social
position. One general in the British
army yelled "Swine, swine," at the
ministers for several minutes and
others even added a sanguinary ad ,
jective to this word.
1t was evident that without a whole
sale expulsion OF the Tory party the
proceedings could not continue, and
Speaker Lowtfer shrank from this ex-
trcme action. 1t was intended to con-
| tinuc the riot on Thursday and AS
quth was resolved to fight il it took
| all winter.
/ At the last moment the notice came
from the speaker that he would pro-
pose a compromise and Asquith then
was face to face with the acceptance
of this advice or the resignation of
the speaker. The resignation of the
! speaker would have involved the cleo
tion Of a new speaker, and in the
present temper of the Tory party that
might have taken weeks and perhaps
finally have forced the government
into a dissolution of parliament and a
new general election.
! Thus Asquith had no choice but tc
yield or face a revolutionary situation
the end of which no man could have
/ foreseen.
Differ on Asquith's Course.
There Is great difference of opin
ion among the Liberals as to Asquith's
wisdom in accepting this course. All
of the fiery radicals denounce it as a