Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1883-02-24 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

SCENE IN PARLIAMENT LAST NIGHT.  Holm or Common, Thursday evening.  One of the most remarkable speeches ever uttered with'a the walls of the House of Commons was made this evening by Mr. Forster. He was expected to speak, and consequently the House was crowded in every part. Among the peers present were the Duke of Abercorn, the Marquess of Lansdowne, Viscount Barrington' the Earl of Cork, the Earl of Ellenborough, Lord Galloway, and the marquess of Huntley, whilst Sir R. Peel was among a crowd in the Distinguished Strangers' Gallery. Nearly sixty questions interposed between the resumption of the debate, and it should he mentioned that more than two-thirds of them were the interrogations of members of the Liberal party. Mr. Lowther made a short but cogent speech. It amounted to an ai:aignment of the Government policy from their accession to power. It was ineffectual to tranquillise Ireland, and what little good there was in it was feebly carried out. At the same time the right hon. gentleman defended and vindicated the Irish policy of the late Government. When Mr. Forster rose there was general cheering. He denied that he initiated the negotiations which led up to the Kilmaiicham treaty, and there was great cheering when he declared that he was shocked at the idea of accepting the ald of Mr. Sheridan. "The Government did not use him. Of eourse not. The moment the Crimes Bill was passed Sheridan disappeared from Ireland." But the sensational part of the speech was that where Mr. Forster deliberately, calmly, in detail, and with great eb"ity, brought an indictment against Mr. Parnell, such as never has been brought against any member of the English Parliament since the days of King John. He in so many words charged the member for the city of Cork with "either conniving at murder "—and such murders 1 --" or with consenting to reap the advantages derived from murders." It is generally held that a receiver of stolen goods is worse than the thief. What is the degree of guilt between the actual murderer and the conniver at murder, and between the actual murderer and the man who consents to reap the advantage of the crime 1 I suppose every village moralist could answer the question if the village lawyer had euy doubt on the subject. " The hon. member need not content himself with a mere disclaimer of any connection with outrage. We have had his disclaimers before, and I am told that Carey wrote a letter of condolence to Miss Burke after the murder of her brodaer." These sentences, placed in such significant juxtaposition, elicited loud and prolonged cheering Iron. all parts of the House. To support the ;allegation made against the " honourable member," Mr. Forster went minutely into evidence that has long been Ignored by Her Majesty's Ministers. He showed that the associates of Mr. Parnell were Brennan, Sheridan, Redpath, Devoy, and Ford, and that every one of these ruffians had preached murder and rapine, "without a single word of remonstrance ever escrlping from the lips of the leader of the Land League—the hon. member for the city of Cork." Towards the close of this extraordinary speech, Mr. Forster proceeded to repeat his charge against the Land League, and when he uttered the words, "he has either connived at murder or has consented to reap the advantage derived from murder," Mr. Parnell, whose face had on it an unhealthy flush, feebly muttered "It is a lie." This interjection was also uttered by Mr. O'Kelly, who shouted at the top of his voice, "It is a lie—f say it is a lie I—lt is, I say, a lie I—lt is a lie!" As he had twice previously interrupted Mr. Forster there were shouts of "Name him," and the Speaker named him accordingly. The necessary motion, and the necessary division followed, and Mr. O'Kelly was suspended for a week. This incident if possible intensified the excitement caused by a speech of unprecedented character a speech which should ring the death-knell of that horrible political imposture described as "the government of Ireland according to Irish ideas." There were loud cries of "Parnell" when Mr. Forster sat down, but the bon. member for the city of Cork moved not. If he survives the speech of the hon. gentleman the member for Bradford—he wil survive anything.