ANCHOVIES AND TOAST.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1752, 25 September 1875, Page 3

ANCHOVIES AND TOAST.

(From Our London Correspondent.)

London, July 27. PABLIMEKTAB.Y SCENE IN THE

HOUSE OP COMMONS.

The latest parlimentaiy sensation has been the "Scene" created by Mr. Samuel Plimsoll, member for Derby in the House on Thursday afternoon last. I need not tell you that Mr, Plimsoll is the sailor's friend and has been for the last few years moving heaven and eaith for legislation on shipping questions. He has clearly made out a good case, but he has had an uphill task in consequence of the opposition offered to his effoits iby the shipping interest inside and outside the House. >ow it had come to pas-s, that the result of Mr. Plimsoli's efforts on Thursday morning last had animounted to this : A bill had been prepared, amending the laws relating to _hij:s and sailors in so far as seamen's wages, overloading of vessels, deckcargoes, insumi.ccs and several other matters were concerned,and hud been brought before the House. In conin.ii.tee it had been mutilated to. such an extent as to be really emasculated,' but Mr. Plimsoll hoped that it would be passed, and that even in its wretched conditi.n it would be better than nothing, ar.d perhaps a stepping stone for something better text year. You must remember that this sub j. ct is Mr. Plimsoli's hobby, and for years his mind has been running on nothing else and that he had, up to this time suffered nunerous disappointments in consequence of the mutilation of the draft measure. Well, on Thursday, Mr. Disraeli made a statement with regard to the business of the setsion which was soon to conclude and amongst other matters, he said that the .hipping Bill would have to be shelved amongst other measures, but that 'he Government would next session iutioduce something more complete and would have fuither information on the subject. On this Mr. Goschen said that he regretted the postponement of such an important measure very much, especially for the sake of a useless concern like the Agricultural Holdings Bill Thtn Mr Eustace Smith vent in for some remarks of the same kind, when the Speaker sat on him by telling him that he could discuss the matter when the motion was made for the discharge of the order. Mr Smith at this subsided, but instantly Mr Samuel Plimsoll got up from the cross-bench before the chair of the Sergeant-at-Anns and yelled out, "I beg to move the adjournment of the House." It is not the practise for members to address the House from this spot, and Mr. Plimsoll was beckoned by his friends to a place further within the usual boundary. He was evidently in a state of gieat excitement, and launched out in a most violent address, begging Mr. Disraeli not to abandon the bill and to "consign some thousands of men to death next winter." He went on to say that there were shipowners of burglarious tendencies outside the house who were well represented inside the House, and. who had revealed the cloven foot by the way in which they had opposed the bill at every stage and he accused Mr Disraeli of playing into the hands of murderers. Theie were at this time cries of "name," whereupon Mr Plumsoll shrieked out " 0 ! yes I'll give names too," and Went on to state that the secretary of Lloyd's had told him that for thirty years he had never known of a ship being broken up on account of being worn cut. Ships passed from owner to owner until at last they reached the hands of some needy wretch who sent them to sea in a sinking condition. Owners of this hind were called " shipknackers," and he had heard a certain secretary to the Treasury say that a member of that House was nothing else but a shipknacker." Here there were bawlings of " order," and the Speaker, rising, told Mr Plimsoll that be must reserve his comments until the discharge of the order was moved. "Very wj-ll," screamed Mr Plimsoll, " then I give notice that I will on Tuesday ask the right hon. gentleman the President of the Board of Trade (mentioning some four or five) which were lost at sea,were owned by Edward Bates, and whether that gentleman is Edward Bates, a member of the House." You never saw anything like the excitement in the House at this moment. The din of tongues was tremendous. On every side burst forth exclamations; members rose right-and left; Mr. Plimsoli's friends tried to get him away, but he broke from them, and rushed up in front of the Speaker's chair, stamping his foot and shouting : "I am determined to unmask the villains who sent these men te their graves." The Speaker rose like some old Roman senator, drawing his toya about him, and amid-roars of "order," and in spite of the frantic gesticulations and repetitions of the "villains" of Mr Plimsoll, said : "I hope the hon. member for Derby has not not applied the word ' villain' to any member of this House." "Yes, I did," screamed the member for Derby, " and I do not mean to withdraw it." Here several members grabbed Mr Plimsoll, and tried to push him into a seat, but he got clear, and faced the Speaker as if he were going to fipht him. "The obervatioff of the hon. member is not quite Parliamentary," said the Speaker, who was as calm as and cool as a cucumber Tin the midst of the storm, "and I hope he will withdraw it." " No, I shan't," said the sailor's champion. " Then," said the Speaker "I must leave his conduct to the judgment of the House." "And I," said Mr Plimsoll, "shall be glad to submit to it," and marching up to the table he placed a sheet of paper beside the mace, saying, "That is my protest against the conduct of the Government." Then be proceeded to shake his fist at Mr Disraeli and his neighbours and uttered words which we could scarcely hear in the gallery, but "villains" appeared to be largely mixed up in his address. At last he was got into a seat, and then the Premier rose and called upon the Speaker to "exercise one of his highest duties, and reprimand the member for Derby." The Speaker then rose and said it was the practice of the House in such cases that the hon. member should be heard in his place and should then withdraw. Mr Plimsoll made no attempt to be heard, but got up and walked away excitedly with two or three friends who evidently were trying to get him to apologise. To their efforts he made no audible response, except once when he turned sharply round to Sir Charles Lewis as he passed him, and said, "Good God! you don't know the villians as I do. Don't you know that thousands of men are sent out to drown? After his departure the Speaker put the question as to the reprimanding, and the Marquis of Hartington suggested that it would be better to allow him to cool down. Mr Sullivan, who had retired with Mr Plimsoll, at this juncture returned and stated i that his friend was over-excited and was not

responsible for what he had said, and was _ ure that if the matter were postponed for a week Mr. Plimsoll would be the first to regret what he had done. Mr. Disraeli at once rose and moved tbat the member for.) Derby be requested to attend in his place on that day week. This was agreed tO^with cheers, and so ended the most extraordinary scene I have ever witnessed in that House. Cf course, Plimsoli's action has not done him any" good, but I don't think it has injured his cause ; the country is thoroughly v_ith him, and indeed I am not sure that on the whole it will not be better for the sailors to have lost the present measuie, as it really would have been of little service to them, and perhaps if it had passed it might have excused further legislation for some years. Mr Plimsoll has gone down to Hastings to repair mental damages.