The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1890-04-05 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ALLEGED MACH OP PRIVILEGE. Mk Sexton then asked leave to ask Sir ME= Marriott whether the Times' report of his -recent speech respecting the Commission Report was correct. —Mr James Lowther Mr Speaker, ought a question of that kind to be put to • member except as regards • Bill or a motion before the House. (Ministerial cheers.)— The Speaker: The right hon. gentleman (Sir Wm. Marriott) holds an- official position. (Opposition cheers.)—Sir Wm. Marriott: I have only just received this question; but, unlike probably most members, I do occasionally read reports of my speeches, and I read this one in the Times, and though not verbatim it is fairly correct. (Cheers and laughter.)—Mr Sexton said be must then call attention to a broach of privilege. (Opposition cheers.) Mr Sexton then read passages from -the speech which declared that on the whole the Views had substantiated the charges with which they started. (Opposition cries of "Oh !") That he declared to be absolutely without foundation. —The Speaker said the passages should be read at the table, and this was done, the Opposition cheering loudly at the passage in -which Sir W. Marriott declared that there was still a mystery surrounding the letter. The Ministerialists answered with another cheer at the passage that there was also mystery at the expenditure of League funds. The Speaker then called upon Mr Sexton to proceed, but the ton. member had not got far withhis denunciation of the Advocate-General before the Speaker again intervened and declared that this was not a breath of privilege. ("Oh!" from MrWilliam Redmond.) The hon. member who interrupted could not under. stand the question of privilege. (General cheering ) The present question was a matter of argument as to the construction to be put upon I the Judges' finding. It might be an unjust construction, upon that he said nothing; but it was no question of privilege. (Ministerial cheers.)—Mr Sexton 'quoted farther passages to show that Sir Win. Marriott intended to cast a doubt upon the freedom of.the Nationalist members from complicity with murder.—After further discussion the Speaker, amid Opposition cheers, Called Sir William Marriott to explain.—Sir William Marriott, who was received with Ministerial cheers, said his regard for the time of the House—(cheers)—would prevent him making a long statement. There were, of course, some omissions from the report, which if included would show that he was speaking rather in chaff than seriously. He certainly brought no charge against any hon. member. (Ministerial cheers.) Mr Sexton: I shall not trouble the House with another word. Having made in public false el:dirges he now shelters himself behind the ,plea that he spoke in chaff. I leave him to what he richly deserves: the contempt of the House and country. (Loud and continued Opposition cheers.)—Zr Redmond explained that he meant no disrespect by hia interruption, and the incident ended. THE tritiAS EMU The debate on the Tithes Bill was resumed by 'Mr C. W. Gray, rho said little about the clergy and a great deal Rout the tenant-farmer, whom he specially- represents. The most notable speech during the early part of the evening, however, was made by Lord Cranborne, who, whether inspired from high quarters or not, always 'speaks with seeming authority, and casually informed the House last evening that he and the Unionist party would "fight to the death" against the agitation for bringing about the Disestablishment of the English Church.—Sir William Harcourt said the great vice of the Bill was that it converted tithe rent charge into a rent liability, though he believed the Government thought that by the process they wore giving relief to the tenant farmer, whereas, in fact, they  Ixehotyer  any entio  14WMiam  I Me, I iloePi  , were imposing a greatly increased liability upon him. The Government were not fortunate in their method of dealing with tithes. They had had four Bills on the subject, and all had miscarried. (Hear, hear.) 'What the Government should do was to make the landlords personally responsible for the tithes. Efili believed the question of Welsh disestablishment and the appropriation of Welsh tithe to educational or other national purposes was abundantly established. Unless the Government altered .the Bill fundamentally, ho did not think there was the slightest chance of it passing into law.—The second reading was carried bv a majority. of 125, and the House adjourned at 12..15.  ROUSE or