The Irish standard., 1913-05-31
day the House of Commons has seen,
perhaps, for generations.

perhaps. for generations.
There was an old member in the
house then called Sir Robert Fowler
a stout alderman of the city Of Lon
don, who had been lord mayor and
who had the rubicund complexion and
the ample waist usually associated
with that position. He took a daring
step; he went out. caught hold of q
chair, planked it down on tho floor Of
the house in the empty space between
the two sides and planked himself
down there with a defiant air. Sew
eral others, emboldened by his ex-
ample, did the same thing, with the
result that for the first and only time
in the history Of the House OF COM
mons, chairs were soon on the floor Of
the house. 1t was justified, but 1t put
an additional strain on Gladstone who,
instead of finding the usual empty
space in front Of him when he got up
to make his tremendous speech, had
sAooC 6CuIiCIlloH up u Ills very
nose. But it added immense pictur-
esqueness to the chamber and to the
scene.
Other Home Rule Bills.
Other Home Rule bills have been
introduced with less pomp and cir
cumstance. but still there have been
the usual stages and, as on previous
occasions, the prime minister who
was proposing the bill. had to makv
his great and lengthy grafton: there
was the same crowded house. the same
electrical atmosphere the same sense
that people were looking at a scene
which marked one Of the turning
points in many centuries Of history.
In addition to this, there was. Of
course, on the part Of the members Of
termined hostility to the measure
which meant that they would oppose
it at any and at every stage and ~
long and as obstructively as the rules
OF the house would permit. And al
though there have been many import
ant bills which have been allowed to
pass through the first reading stage
| without much discussion, that being
| regarded aa &, formal stage and as a
necessary preliminary, for the bill
cannot be printed until 1t has passed
the second reading, the first reading Of
the Home Rule bill has never been SO
treated: the first stage has been MS
flercely opposed and as lengthily de-
bated as any other stage.
The second way of introducing the
first reading of n bill is under what
is called the ten minutes rule. This
rule makes no mention of ten minutes.
but that has come to be regarded as
the legitimate length to which the
speech should go and usually the pro-
poser remains within these narrow
limits. There is sometimes. although
not always. n division; the bill IL re-
garded as a bit Of harmless eccentric
ity or faddy philanthropy and nobody
takes the trouble to bother about 1t
and the member is given his first
reading, and duly walks up the floor
of the house with his three bows and
an ironical cheer This may be de-
scribed an the medium stage between
the great and the small bill.
Second Reading Soon.
The second reading of the bill
which will come on almost Immediate
ly after the close Of the Whitsuntide
holidays, that Is to say, on Monday
June 2. will, of course. be debated, but
here again the debate will not be pro-
longed. One Of the peculiar results OF
the parliament act is that bill must
go through the House Of Commons
the second and the third time precise
ly as 1t left the House of Commons
the first time; no amendment can be
made except In dates, and as to other
things. all parties must agree-the op-
position as we'll as the ministry and
the House of Lords as we'll as the
House Of Commons. That. of course
justifics government In curtailine
debate enormously There Is no ne.
cessity for a committee stage. because
no amendments can be accepted
there is no necessity for the report
stage, for no report stage takes place
on any bill. unless some amendment.
have been made in committee, ant
thus, in thrice, the house will fln6
itself face to face with the third read.
> ing. Altogether the process is expect.
ed to take about eight or ten days
and then their lordships will have 6
second chance Of being reasonable; Il
they refuse that. the bill win be passed
a third time next year and probably
: in four days instead Of eight The
mills of the gods of the parliamen