Extraordinary Scene.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2517, 13 September 1890, Page 2

Extraordinary Scene.

A member of Parliament writes, under a recent date, as follows : — ; I witnessed an extraordinary scene on the terrace of the House of Commons on Friday night. A barge rowed up, a transparency was hoisted, and m a few minutes a series of pictures was thrown upon it. The first was a portrait of Mr Gladstone, which was received with much clapping of hands by the Irish members, who .had collected on #he terrace, evidently knowing what was to take place. This was followed by various scenes, illustrating the shadowing process by the police, cruelty at evictions, interference; with meetings, and other incidents m the Irish struggle. A man m the barge with a stentorian voice shouted out the description of these views. The members m the libraries and smoking rooms all came to the windows, amazed at this daring, intrusion on the sacred territory. "\Vhere is the Sergeant-at-Arms %" was the question passed from one to another But no one answered it. The Speaker's house; is at one end of the terrace, and as this dread functionary was ac home at the time, it.is. all the more wonderful that this demonstration was permitted. William O'Brien was the hero of several thrilling pictures. The stentorian voice cried out: —"Don't say now, members of Parliament, that you have not seen what goes on m poor old Ireland." A number of persons then started singing "God save Ireland," the chorus being taken up by several Irish, members on the terrace. The whole river front of the Parliament houses was now m a state of no small excitement. The police looked on without attempting to interfere, evidently influenced by so many applauding M.P.'s. It is stated that two nationalist" members were on board the presumptuous barged—Still hurling their defiant song, " Gcd save Ireland," at the British Parliament, and Home Rule invaders set all authority at defiance and moved off; shortly before midnight amid another burst of cheering. I understand that the Speaker is very angry at this unprecedented occurrence and is causing searching inquiries to be made into it. Ifihe ( chief of the ringleaders is found out ithere i willbe a row. . •