A NOTABLE SCENE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7487, 8 October 1892, Page 4

A NOTABLE SCENE.

The dnision in the House of Commons on August 11 on the motion of Mi Wliiith of " no-cunfiilcnco" m the Salisl)iuy Uo\ eminent lesulted as follows For the motion, 350 ; against, 310. At the close of the debate the speaker rose to put the question on Mi Asquith's motion, and was answered with a tliundeious \olumc of yeas and nays fiom the iLspectnu suks of the House. The House dmded at midnight. When Mr (uadstone leturncd from the lobby the whole Libeial party lose and cheeied linn. The telleis .ippeared at twenty ti\e minutes just 12 a.m with the papei containing the nuiulieis showing the lesvilt of the dnision, and h.\nded the paper to Arnold M'uiley, the Libeial whip This the smnal for a, u>lley of Libeidl cheers and lush shouts of " Mitchelltown !" "Down with Ualfoiuism ' " etc., and it was some time before Mr Moiley able to announce the hguies.

A>~ UXrKKCEDKNTED sCEITE. The grawty of the occasion was seen in fhe crouds waiting in the Palace Yaid till ]),isl midnight, the groups filling thu lobbies and packed in the gallflies w thin the House. For the hist time since the night m 1886 when Mr ({ladstone hist introduced Home Rule chans had to be luought m to seat the mombeis l)locked out of the gallenes. For the hist time in the histoiy of British Parhanients did the membeis muster their full st length within ten. Tn the lobby men beguiled the tedium by speculating on the exact number of \ otes that the dnision would show. It was known that there were two vacant seats; two membeis absent paired on the great question ; one absentee, an a \ lsit to Australia ; the four telleis, who do not \ote ; and the Speaker, who also does not ■vote — making ten to be deducted fiom the complete House. Then the illness of ,se\eial niombeis, making the total \ote doubtful till well along towaid the dnision. kept the betting h\ely \11 i>f these duly appeared. Mr Cremei , looking ghastly ill, was assisted to the lobby bj a fi lend. P. .1. Power was w> seriously ill that he was kept dm ing the e\enmg in a pmate room of the House, attended by a doctor. At midniirht «\li;v possible \ote was within the call of the whips and the \otmg commenced The membeis, after hooping to right and left, .iccoiding to party, .soon began lclilhng the House from the voting lobbies W hen Mr ( Hadstone returned to his seat the whole Opposition rose and <j,,i\u \o]le)ing cheers, which were renewed when the result w.is declared. The Daily News, describing the scene, s.ijs : "The members ciowded the gallenes, sat in pairs on the steps of the gangway, swarmed around the Speakei s chair, and stood in a dense throng at the bar. Tt was a magniiicient audience, and Mr Chamberlain played upon it with the skill of a master of parlimen tary debate He commenced his .speech in a studiously quiet manner. Itrferring to Mr Healcy's action at the adjournment of the House on Tuesday, m the gentlest tones, he said that he had noted that whenever it was desired to exhibit discourtesy towards any man or to any -woman, he added, after a significant pause, Healy presents himself to accomplish it. The House was hugely delighted at Mr Chambeilain s pun — that Labouchere be called upon to icconcile the interests of the Cabinet with the interests of Truth. Mr Chambeilam's peroration was delivered with much more appearance of passion than he usually permits, himself to show. When Sir Heniy James asked whether TJnght and Yillers were apostates, or whether those "who, to gain place and power, changed their principles, he turned and angrily pointed at Mr (Gladstone, whereat the Conservatives loudly cheered, while Mi (iladstonc sat silent, probably thinking he had for conscience sake, in 184(5, broken np one of the bicrgest majorities of I modern times, and had gone to forth into the shades of the Opposition.