The Irish standard., 1913-02-01
The Late Justin McCarthyis De-
scription of the Scene in
Parliament $50.
On Introduction of Gladstone's
First Home Rule Bill b..
April 8, 1885.
1mpassioned Words Which Openeda a
New Order of Freedom and
of Hope.

Neither the history OF the reign nor
the history Of the century afford any
parallel to the scenes which wit.
messed In the House OF Commons last
Thursday. The records OF coatemp-
orary events afford many examples
of great aud stirring moments In the
chronicle Of the Commons Chamber
at Westminster. The Introduction Of
great measures Of social. political re-
form, the debates which have been
big with the fates Of Ministers and
which have resulted In tlla overthrow
OF administrations that seemed yes
terday to be deeply rooted In popular
favor. the explanations consequent
upon momentous designations, all
these varied means of arousinE in
tense political excitement, have each
In their tur:, thronged the panelled
room with members and lined the
walls with the breathless spectators
of epoch making episodes wrote the
late Justin Mccarthy in referring to
tho introduction of C,ladstonas first
Home Rule bill, April 8, 1886,
But the rise Of no measure and the
fall Of no Minister have ever stirred
St. Stephens to such fever fire. of ex-
,!!s element as that which eliminated. it,
all through the long hours Of last
Thursdays life. Neither the INTRODUCE
tion of the first Reform bill with all
the fervid emotions Of the consequent
debates, nor the excitements Of such
Parliamentary catastrophes as the
dismissal OF Lord Palmerstcn in 1852
and the defeats Of Mr.. Gladstone In
1856 and 1885. can he fairly said to
offer even a. distant parallel to the
passions. the enthusiasm, the fear aad
hope and fury and exultation which
swept the surface and stirred tho
depths OF tho greatest legislative as
semblage Of modern times
1t has been my good fortune to take
part In some OF the most thrilling In
cdents that have marked the stormy
course Of Parliamentary history for
the last six years. From the galler-
les of tho House Of Commons have
watched tho stars while the battle
for Irish rights has ragged below me:
from those high places have ssen
night fade into dawn and dawn be-
come noon, and tho day'a strength
wane into evening. and through night
to dawn again, following tho fortunes
Of the handful Of Irish members who
were making so brave a front against
the hostile House that raved against
them aSd roared around them, and
strove again and again to conquer, to
crush, to silence them.
! have seen the representatives Of
tho Irish Nation again and again ex-
PEELED from the Chamber for their
PERSISTENCE In defending the rights
and pressing the claims Of their coun-
trymen. I have shared in the tun1ul-
tuous emotions of the two fateful
hours in which successive Ministries
fell on the cause Of coercion before
the votes Of an united Irish Party,
All these scenes and incidents are
craven upon my memory, but no one
OF them, not the flercest and storu1i-
est could for moment compare with
the keen almost agonizing excitement
and the vast historical dignity of the
scene which the House of Commons
presented at o'clock on the aftsr-
noon Of Thursday last, the ever MEM
orablc eighth Of April. ,a.;%
Oae great fact rises distinctly star.
like, out OF all the confusion and pas.
sion and heart-burning and heart-up-
lifting Of that memorable day, the
fact that a great English Minister;
the foremost and most famous states
| man of his age, has recognized, speaks
ing to a., attentive Senate, to an at
tentive Nation, to an attentive world,
the right Of the Irish people to Self
Government. That great historic fact
is at once the triumph and the .justi-
fcation Of an oppressed hut uncon-
quered Nationality. .s4t
| Whatever may be thought Of the
particular measure which Mr.. Glad