A STORMY SCENE

Otago Witness, Issue 2955, 2 November 1910, Page 29

A STORMY SCENE

PANS, October 30. In a disorderly and passionate debate in the French Chamber of Deputies M. Jaures asserted that M. Viviani (Minister of Labour) was resigning: because his colleagues were prisoners to the forces of money and reaction. M. Viviani denied the statement. The Premier (M. Briand), amid constant interruption, justified the mobilisation of the railwayman, who he said were only too glad to seize a pretext to escape from the oppressive tyranny of their leaders. It was impossible for the country to keep her frontiers open, and, if necessary, the Government would have had recourse to illegal measures to suppress the strike. The Extreme Left shook their fists, shouting " Dictator! " " Resign! " M. Briand remained' on the tribune for half an hour, a target of Socialist abuse, which ultimately necessitated the adjournment of the debate. The scene in the Chamber was not paralleled during the crisis over the Panama Canal scandals, the Boulanger episode, and the Dreyfus affair. Deputies struggled with the attendants in their efforts to storm the platform, and there were several cases of fisticuffs. Resuming on Sunday, M. Briand spoke in conciliatory tones. The Chamber rejected the censure motion by 584 to 155. Further justifying the possibility of extra-legal steps, the Premier recalled that these had been taken at the time of the Fashoda. incident, and during the serious difficulties between Paris and Berlin on the subject of Morocco.