The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1884-11-01 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL AND  MR. CHAMBERLAIN. The attendance in the House of Commons on Friday night was very small at question time, and became smaller still as soon as what was nominally tha business of the evening commenced. On the motion of Lord Richard Grosvenor, a new writ was ordered to be issued for Scarborough in the place of Mr. Dodson. Mr. Trevelyan, appearing at the table to answer a Question put by Mr. Healy, was received with loud cheers from all parts of the House where English members sit, Conservatives joining as heartily as Liberals in this testimony of personal esteem. When the cheers had died away, they were heartily taken up by the Irish members, not to be behind in offering their congratulations to the right hon. gentleman on his elevation to Cabinet rank. Shortly after a question put by Sir Frederick Milner addressed to Mr. Chamberlain as to the correctness of a report sof a passage in one of his speeches at Birmingham led to a lively scene. Mr. Chamberlain suggested that it would have been better to have read the whole of the passage brought forward. Sir F. Milner had accidentally omitted the reference to a speech made by Lord Randolph Churchill last year in Edinburgh when he declared that he would not believe in the reality of the popular demand for the franchise till some palings were pulled down. Lord Randolph, rising amid laughter and cheers, asked whether it was in order to put in the mouth of a member words he had not spoken. The Speaker said if Lord Randolph disclaimed the accuracy of tho report Mr. Chamberlain would doubtless accept the disclaimer. Mr. Chamberlain pledged himself as• to the substantial accuracy of the words he had quoted. Hereupon Sir Henry Wolff hotly interposed with what the Speaker ruled was no point of order. Referring to the riots at Birmingham Mr. Chamberlain said the facts formed a matter of discussion. He would be glad, if an opportunity presented itself, to state what had been reported to him by eye-witnesses amongst his constituents. At present he was of opinion that the only persons who kad been guilty of disgraceful conduct in connection with political meetings at Birmingham were some roughs paid by the Conservative party as " chuckers out." Lord Randolph ChurAill once snore rose and asked whether before the debate on the Address closed Mr. Chamberlain would reply to the charges of complicity in the riots, an opportunity for which bad been given him the previous night, and which he had d:elined. Mr. Chamberlain said nothing would give him greater pleasure. "I did not," he continued, with quiet manner that failed to pre-age what was corning, " reply last night, because the hon. member for Portsmouth appeared to be the jackal of the notri!e lord." Roars of laughter greeted this sally, rising to a higher pitch when Lord Randolph Churchill, reciprocating Sir Henry Wolff's assistance rose, and "in the interests of Parliamentary decency," asked whether it was in order for one membee to apply to another the term jackal. The Speaker hoped the noble lord would not take the term in a too literal sense, a suggestion gravely put which caused a burst of laughter, amid which the purists of order, who sit in the neighbourhood of Mr. Healy, cried " Shame ! " though with what application was not clear. Sir Stafford Northcote, desiring to throw oil on the troubled waters, hoped that Mr. Chamberlain would withdraw the phrase. Mr. Chamberlain explained that be had never thought of using it otherwise than in a figurative sense, precisely in the same way as on a recent occasion Sir Stafford Northcpte had described Lord Randolph Churchill as a " lionnet." He however, if the phrase gave pain, at once withdrew it. The scene, which lastNl only a few minutes, but never flagged in liveliness, was brought to an appropriate conclusion by Sir Henry WolE, amid renewed laughter, loftily declaring that nothing Mr. Chamberlain could say would affect him in the least. After this Mr. A O'Connor resumed the debate on the Maamtrasna murder, and the House emptied.