The Warwickshire Herald. — 1887-03-24 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES.  ON the vote of £3,624,000 on account of the Civil Service Estimates, Mr. Labouchere moved that the chairman report progress. He suggested that the Government should content themselves with as much money as would last a fortnight. Mr. W. H. Smith said it was quite impossible for the Government to accept the hon. member's suggestion. Ile must ask the Committee to grant the vote (Ministerial cheers). Mr. Dillon declared that the Irish members felt bound to discuss and oppose certain portions of the vote.—During the discussion which followed attention was drawn to the fact that Dr. Tanner had said that a certain honourable member on the Ministerial side was drunk. The chairman said that such an expression was most offensive and disorderly, and Dr. Tanner withdrew it. Soon after half-psst five, Mr. Courtney's place as chairman was taken by Mr. Raikes, and the debate was continued  chiefly by the Irish members. Soon after seven o'clock Dr. Tanner rose in an excited manner and accused the Government of trying to force the vote through the committee in order to cause excitement in Ireland, so as to promote murder and assassination. Mr. Raikes promptly called him to order, and Dr. Tanner, after some demur, withdrew the expression. The committee divided at twenty minutes to .eight, and the motion for reporticg progress was negatived by 141 to 57.—Mr. Labouchere then moved the reduction of the vote by the sum of £5,000 in respect of The item of £llOOO for , the Royal palaces. Mr. Plunket opposed and Mr. Conybeare supported the amendment, which, on a division, was rejected by 121 to 53. During the early morning the discussion of the Civil Service Estimates went on, one amendment after another being disposed of. Then for some time there was a lull in the liveliness of the debate. Suddenly there came a catspaw, which threatened to become a storm. Mr. 'l'. I'. O'Connor had been challenged by Colonel King-Hartnan to give statistics in support of his assertion that in certain years not a single member of the Royal Irish Constabulary had been either killed or seriously wounded while engaged in eviction duty. Mr. O'Connor could give the .figures, but he had too much consideration for the time of the 'Committee to further prolone the discussion by supplying them. C.lonel King-Hartuan then rose, anti reiterated his demand. Dr. Tanner at once saw that his chance had come. Jumping hastily to hie feet, he stretched out an imploring invitation to Mr. O'Connor to give him the paper, which contained the information so much desired by the gallant colonel. In another second he had it in his grasp, and was shambling across the floor of the House in a manner strongly suggestive of a Kerry bull about to attack his rival of the pasture. "Order, order I " cried the Conservatives ; "order, order I" said Mr. Courtney ; "go it, Tanner!" cried the Parnellites, and in a moment the member for Mid Cork was face to face with his opponents. Every one wondered what was to happen next. Colonel Saunderson sat next to his military twin, and flinched not from the on-rush, while Co'onel King-Harman sat still with placid visage. Dr. Tanner lifted the book, and everyone thought they would next see it descend upon the Colonel's silk hat. Desisting, however, from this intention, if he had ever conceived it, the Doctor projected the leather-covered missile into the Colonel's lap. He, in turn, with a gesture of loathing, tumbled it away, and the book fell upou the Ministerial bench. The "militant medical then, with a look at his opponent which signified that he wished he had him somewhere "up our court," returned to his lair, whence he continued to snort signals of defiance at "all and sundry" for the next half-hour. The remaining votes were ultimately disposed of, and members then filed out of the Hou,e amid continued hubbub and cheering, and after the balance of the business had been got through, the House adjourned at 1.20, having sat continuously 213: hours.  We are informed that the Speaker sat up during the whole ol the night. The right hon. gentleman was in expectation of being called upon to resume the chair at any moment, and consequently was unable to take any sleep during the whole of the sitting.