The Atherstone, Nuneaton, and Warwickshire Times. — 1880-06-19 (Atherstone, Warwickshire, England)

LCE IN THE HOUSE. Sehbm has the House of Commons beei the scene of a more dis•zraceful exhibitio  than was witnessed on Monday night. Mr. O'Donnell, who has a passion for cheap notoriety, and who is endeavourium to pose a. tde French Clerical Champion in the House ot Commons, aAlild sora.- questions respaqing M: Challemel-Lacour, the newly-appointed French Ambassador, questions which to say the least of them were impolitic and which most gentlemen would consider impertinent. The questions insinuated murder and robbery against the distinguished French gentleman who will shortly arrive on our shores, and Sir Charles Dilke categorically and emphatically- repelled the insinuationsmd declared them to have no " foundation in fact." This, however, did not satisfy Mr. O'Donnell, nothing ever did or would satisfy him. He declared his intention of moving the adjournment of the house in order to elicit further inktuation and to prove hi. charges. Thi. proceeding, although sometimes adopted, is not a matter of right but of courtesy, and the  Speaker remonstrated with Mr. O'Donnell for travelling beyond the issue and introducing irrelevant matter. Mr. O'Donnell, however, was not to be put down, and as he continued to offend every principle of decency and fair play, Mr. Gladstone, to ascertain the sense of the House, in a matter of courtesy and not of right, moved that Mr. O'Donnell be not heard. WltrAtpon a scene of the wildest , disorder ensued. Tory vied with Irishman in vindictive abuse of Mr. Gladstone, and joined their forces tether in opposition to the Govel nme:lt motion. " Tyranny Z' and " C:esarism were shouted front the Opposition benches, and although such men as Mr. Newdegate and Mr. Mowbray expressed their approval of Mr. Gladstone's course, Sir Stafford Northcote and the leaders of the Tories were induced by their dislike of Mr. Gladstone to stifle their sense of justice and fair play and to join the Irish contingent and oppose the Government. They aided and assisted Mr. O'Donnell time after time, though the motions to adjourn were defeated one after another by tremendous majorities. The Tories and Irishmen combintd played the game of " obstruction," under the plen of " liberty. for 4 several hours, their forces becoming Nixeaket  and weaker until at length, about one o'clock in the morning, Mr. O'Donnell undertook to give notice of his question, and Mr. Gladstone thereupon withdrew his motion. The scene was a disgrace to the House, and to the rules which could permit it. The vapid talk of the Tories, when in power, anent " obstruction," proves to be talk and nothing more. We do n 4 believe that the present Liberal Ministry is composed of men who will prove to be so weak and vaccinating in regard to determined obstruction as Sir Stafford Northcote showed himself to be. If it becomes necessary, ' '  the power of exceptional legislation ought to be invoked to deal with exceptional circumstances. The Speaker of the House on Monday night, in reply to a question, said no such motion as that made by Mr. Gladstone had been proposed in the House for 200 years, but, be significantly added, neither had the occasion arisen. If a gentleman of scholarly reputation and singularly distinguished in character and attainments, accredited to this country by the French Government, is to be attacked in the House of Commons by a man, opposed to the republican opinions held by the ambassador, and if the representative of a friendly Power is to be falsely charged with participation in foul crimes, without reproof, where does liberty of speech end and where does. license commence 1 The battle of Government in , France is not to be fought out in the British House of Commons, and if it were to be, the weapons of Mr. O'Donnell are unworthy an Englishman, and fit only for an assassin. It is satisfactory to reflect that not a single member who spoke approved of Mr. O'Donnell's course of procedure, though a considerable number were only too glad to use it as a peg on whi:h to hang an absurd charge against Mr. Gladstone.