SALISBURY AND GLADSTONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8986, 17 September 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

SALISBURY AND GLADSTONE.

THE DIVISION IN THE HOUSE. London, August 11.— division in the House of Commons to-night on the motion of Mr. Herbert Henry Asquith (GladBtonian), member for the east division of Fifeshire, of "no confidence" in the ■ Government resulted as follows :—For the motion, 350; against, 310. Liberal majority, 40. At the close of the debate the Speaker rose to put the question on Mr. Asquith's motion, and was answered with a thunderous volume of yeas and nays from the respective sides of the House. The strangers having withdrawn from the precincts of the chamber, the Speaker repeated the usual formula of putting the question, and was again greeted with sustained and vehement replies. The House divided at midnight. When Mr. Gladstone returned from the lobby the whole Liberal party rose and cheered him. The tellers appeared at twenty-five minutes past twelve a.m. with the paper containing the numbers showing the result of the division, and handed the paper to Arnold Motley, the Liberal whip. This was the signal for a volley of Liberal cheers and Irish shouts of " Mitchellstown i" " Down with Balfourism !" etc., and it was some time before Mr. Morley was able to announce the figures. AN UNPRECEDENTED SCENE. The gravity of the occasion was seen in the crowds waiting in the palace yard till past midnight, the groups tilling the lobbies and packed in the galleries within the House. For the first time since the night in 1886 when Mr. Gladstone first intro- j duced Home Rule chairs had to be brought in to seat the members blocked out of the galleries. For the first time in the history of British Parliaments did the members muster their full strength within ten. The peers' gallery was well occupied. The Duke of Teck, the Duke of Devonshire, the Duke of Abercorn, the Duke of Westminster, the Lord Chancellor, Lords Spencer, Iveagh, Aberdeen, Cadogan, Camperdown, Ashbourne, Monkswell, Rowton, Knutsford, Brabourne, and others sat through the early part of the debate, and, though driven away by its monotony, most of them reappeared toward the division. The diplomatic gallery was so full that Mr. Lincoln, the American Minister, and Baron Hatzfeldt, the German Ambassador, who arrived late, found seats with some difficulty. In the ladies' gallery were the Duchess of Teck, Mrs. Chamberlain and Mrs. Gladstone, Countess Spencer, Ladies Sandhurst, Evelyn, Cavendish and Grey, the Marchioness of Queensberry, Countess Fal mouth and other members of aristocratic families, most of whom fled the "cage" early in the evening. UETTING IN THE LOBBIES. In the lobby men beguiled the tedium by speculating on the exact number of votes that the division would show. It was known that there were two vacant seats, two members absent paired on the great question, one absentee, on a visit to Australia; the four tellers, who do not vote, and the Speaker, who also does not vote, making ten to be deducted from the com- \ plete House. Then the illness of several members, making the total vote doubtful till well along toward the division, kept the betting lively. All of these duly appeared. Mr. L'remer, looking ghastly ill, was assisted to the lobby by a friend. P. J. Power was so seriously ill that ho was kept during the evening in a private room of the House, attended by a doctor. At midnight every possible vote was within the call of the whips, and the voting commenced. The tellers for the amendment were Mr. Arnold Morley and Mr. Majoribanks, and those for the Government were Mr. Akers-Douglas and Sir William Wairond. The members after trooping to the right and left, according to party, soon began refilling the House from the voting lobbies. When Mr. Gladstone returned to his seat the whole opposition rose and gave volleying cheers, which were renewed when the result was declared. COMMENTS OF THE PRESS. The Daily News, describing the scene in Parliament yesterday, says : —" The members crowded the galleries, sat in pairs on the steps of the gangway, swarmed around the Speaker's chair and stood in a dense throng at the bar. It was a magnificent audience and Mr. Chamberlain played upon it with the skill of a master of Parliraentury debate. He commenced his speech in a studiously quiet manner. Referring to Mr. Healy's action at the adjournment of the House on Tuesday, in the gentlest tones he said that he noted that whenever it was desired to exhibit discourtesy toward 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. Chamberlain's punthat Labouchere be called upon to reconcile the interests of the Cabinet with the interests of Truth. Mr. Chamberlain's peroration was delivered with much more appearance of passion than he usually permits himself to show. When Sir Henry James asked whether Bright and Villiers 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 Mr. Gladstone sat silent, probably thinking of how he had for conscience sake, in 1886, broken up one of the biggest majorities of modern times and had gone forth into the shades of the opposition. After a deprecatory shout, leading Right Hon. Henry Chaplin, who was delivering a speech, to" resume his seat, the Conservatives shouted for Sir William Vernon Harcourt, who only smiled and stroked his chin. When Mr. Chaplin had spoken for forty-five minutes, Dr. Tanner walked up to him with a glass of water in his hand. Mr. Chaplin, however, took no notice of Dr. Tanner's action, and calmly proceeded with bis speech." The Post says : —"A sight more earnest or impressive than yesterday's scene in Parliament has rarely been witnessed within the walls of St. Stephen'*. Although defeated, the Unionists will reassemble undiminished in numbers and unfailing in resolution. Mr. Gladstone will have to deal with the strongest and most united majority that ever assembled in Parliament."