The Warwickshire Herald. — 1887-04-21 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

DISGRACEFUL SCENE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.  ON Friday night the discussion on the Crimes Bill WAS freshened up very considerably; and before the night was over there were "scenes" of the bear-garden sort which baffle all description. . The debate was reopened by Sir William II frcourt, who spoke for an hour and a half. When he had done, however, Mr. Plunket made mincemeat of some of his strongest points, and, in a speech which only lasted for three-quarters of an hour, produced a strong impression by a closely-reasoned and powerful argument in defence of the bill. It was when Colonel Saunderson rose at 10.30 that the aft iirs began to look stormy. The honourable and gallant eentleman has a knack of saying uncommonly strong things which are not the less biting because they are frequently enveloped in a humorous covering; and there is no man who can with greater ease (or, it must be said, with greater indifference), goad his fellow-countrymen in the House of Commons into the exhibition of the wildest fury. One of his peculiarities is the', as you listen to him, you never quite know, when he begins a eentence, whether it will end with a sarcasm, an accusation, or a joke; and the very uncertainty is a continual whet to the appetite of his audience, who hang upon his words with a close attention which could not be greater were be Prime Minister. The amusing passages in his Friday night's speech came on early—as, for instance, where he paraphrased Mr. Dillon's last House of Commons' speech as an invdation to the Irish people— "if you won't follow me to battle, I'm off I" Later on Colonel Saunderson made merry over the courage of Irish Nationalists, patriots, reminding them of the fact that, when the Fenian outbreak occurred, "No Fewer then eighty-seven Feniahs were on one occasion surrounded, captured, and marched off to prison by three policemen." He accused the Parnellites with associating with murderers. This brought about an immediate explosion. Mr. Healy, in a state of great excitement, asked whether mica language was in order. The Speaker held that, though the charge was "grave," Colonel Sawiderson made it on "his responsibility." and could not be interfered with. On this Mr. Healy aided, " If he refers to me, I say he is a liar!" The Speaker called for the withdtawal of this last remark; hut Mr. Healy, amid the greatest excitement, declared that if Colonel Saunderson was entitled to accuse him of associating with murderers, he was entitled to say that Colonel Saunderson was "a liar ; " and he wound op an angry controversy with the Chair by the declaration, uproariffuals cheered by all the Pelmet lites present, "There is but one way of meeting this accusation, and I decline to withdraw what I have said." Upon this the Speaker solemnly "named" him. On a division. Mr. Healy's suspension was voted by 118 fo 52 ; and when called upon to withdraw from the Chatnaer, Mr. Healy quitted the House, hat in hail,while all his brother Parnellttes rose to their feet, waved their hats in the air, and cheere 1 with tremen tons erergv as he slowly passed by them, the whole scene having quite a melodramatic effect Colonel Sautiderson then went on with his speech again, but had not proseeded far with his vigorous charges against the nirnellitee before Mr. Sexton accused him of "repeating his calumnies." Colonel Sautelertion a,serted that Mr. Sexton was present in America at a meeting of the Cian-tia-Gael, which e described as an oeganisatioe to get people murdered ;" whereupon Mr. Sexton once more jumped up with the words," V4ll I say the bonourable and gallant gentlemen is again a liar!" The Speaker oesfeight the Hause to have some respect for its dignity ; but Mr. S.xfon el-dared,: with increased vioience, "it is an infernal lie! " However, this, too, was allowed to go by upon the withdrawal I,ty both th,l hon. mrable metnb-rs of the words they had used, and at last Colonel Saunderson was permitted, tee) hours after he commenced it, to bring his speech to a close ; though not before he had preferred a terrible indictment aga nsf the Parnellites which needs to be an-wered by something more convincing than in re brutal violence. On the motion of Mr. Sfscfon, the debate was again adjourned, and the II llso, still thrille(t with a tem' pestueus excitement, brought its sitting to a close.