HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 210, 5 September 1893, Page 2

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

A DISGRACEFUL SCENE.

FIGHT ON THE FLOOR OF THE

HOUSE,

English files containing the -following account of the scene in the House of Commonß on the final application of the closure were received by the R.M.e. Valetta at Albany last week :— " The last acb of a discreditable farce, aa Mr Chamberlain, leader of tho Liberal Unionists, termed it, was performed in the Commons last night. In more aonses than one the concluding remarks of Mr Chamberlain, just before the Home Rule Bill was finally closured prerioua to its passage through Committee, wore in a small degree responsible, as his intense bitterness and irony roused the Irish Liberals to a pitch of frenzy. The guillotine, in the form of the closure, was to fall at ten o'clock, and Mr Chamberlain neatly rose a few minutes before that hour to have the last fling. With his eye on the clock, he uttered what now is a historical sentence :—"But this isnot the same scheme aa that which was received a short time ago with such enthusiasm." Under the circumstances, tho sneer with which this was given was incomparable, and Liberals grew white in the face. Proceeding, Mr Chamberlain declared that "if the Prime Minister calls it black, they say it> is good; if he calls it white, they say it is better. His was always the voice of a God. Nevor, since the time of Herod, has there been such Blavish adulation." At the word "Herod" Mr T. P. O'Connor shouted "Judas," which was taken up by the Irish benches. The Tories responded, crying "No," and domanded that the words be noted by the chair. The Right Hon. J. \V. Mellor, Chairman or Committee, took refuge in the plea that he had not heard the epithet, tbua hoping that the storm would blow over, but the subterfuge was palpable. Bo endeavoured to call for a division on the clause under discussion, but the Conservatives refused to leave the House for the lobbies until justice had been done and the word " Judas" officially noted. Mr Gladstone, all passive, never stretched a hand to help Mr Molior, but as yet there had been no overt acts of hostility till Mr J. \V. Logan, Liberal member for the Harborougb Division, Leicester, croased to the Opposition side of the table in order to speak to Mr Mellor. Mr Edward Carson, Q.C., Conservative member for Dublin University, called to him, saying, "Get away from here. You and your gagging gang are out of order here," Mr Logan's action being contrary to the unvaried etiquette of tho House. Logan replied, " Very well, then, I'll sit and talk to you," at the same time taking Mr Balfour's seat, which was alongside Mr Carson. This was tho incident which led to tho main

SCENE OF THE EVENING,

Mr W. Hayes Fisher, Conservative member for Fulham, seized Mr Logan's head, and got it in chancery; Sir E. AshmeadBartlefct, Conservative member for Ecclesall, seizing him in front! and throwing him bodily to the floor of the House. Then the actual fighting commenced. Members, it is said, fdught 'like bargoos, or more like troopers. Thoy shouted, wrestled, pushed, and cursed each other, with tierce eyes, faces white or flaming, and dress disarranged; but the majority of the members stood dazed and bewildered, or tore members from each other, many in this way losing their coats, vests, collars, ties, and in a fow cases their shirts wero half torn off their backs. Mr Gladstone, meanwhile, eat pale and still on the Treasury bench, with a frightened oxpresgion on his face. Tho Irishmen rushed for Colonel E. J. Saunclerson, Conservative member for Armagh North, who vvas seriously hit on the head, bub roturned the blow by smartly punching the face of Mr Eugene Crean, Nationalist member for Ossory, following this up with a blow in tho face of Mr Michael Austin, Nationalist member for Limerick West. Warming to hia work, the Colonel stood on the floor of tho House hitting straight from the shoulder at all and sundry. Mr Tim M. Healy, Nationalist member for Louth North, danced about and knocked or pushed down many members. Prominent among the members who endeavoured to stop the row were Lord Randolph Churchill and Mr John Burns, and Sir Albert Rollit caught Sir Ashmead-Bartlett and rated him soundly for his attack on Mr Logan, which was, to say che least, unfair, as Mr Hayes Fisher already had Mr Logan's head in chancery. Mr Logan declares thab he remonstrated with Mr Carson for his impertinent language, and, as he \va3 in a frightened state, instead of remaining in a standing position oa the floor of the House he took a seat by Mr Carson, when he was at once assaulted by Mr Hayes Fisher. He had no intention of creating any disturbance, and never raised his hand against any member.

HISSED BY THE SPECTATORS,

When the din and turmoil were ab the lr height the visitors in the Strangers' Gallery rose and hissed, loudly crying " Shaire. This had a momentary effect on the House, but the fighting was soon worse than ever, and in their eagerness, members clambered over the benches to join in tho fray, either as peacemakers or as combatants. One of the back seats was broken, bub it was noticeable as being left lying on the floor, nnd was nob used as a weapon. Meanwhile, the Chairman of Committees apt helpless in his chair, till somo of tho cooler members shouted, " Speaker, Speaker ; send for Mr Speaker. We will not leave the House till the Speaker cornea," Mr Meilor waa still paralysed by the scene before him, till Mr Balfour privately appealed to him to do something and ond the awful scone. The Speaker was then eenb for in hot haste, and Mr Peel entered the House coo), calm and dignified. The eSoct was nothing Bhorb of magical. Tho House almost instantly calmed, and his entrance was greeted with cheers. Grave and stern, ho took his chair, and after a whispered conference with Mr Mellor, the Speaker called upon the leaders of the House to explain the incident. This was done by Mr Gladstone and Mr Balfour, whereupon the Speaker demanded an apology from Mr O'Connor, who most humbly regretted the incident, and the Speaker then declared the incident closed, and deprecated- furthor reference to the matter for the sake of the dignity and interests of the House. The Speaker has never beon more dignified than on the present occasion. Feeling, however, still ran so high that the amendment which was under discussion was not put to division, the leaders fearing directly members were again brought into close contact in tho lobbies further fights would ensuo. Thus for tho first time in the history of the House a division which had been arranged for was abandoned. The doors were unlocked, and tho clause was allowed to be negatived without division.