BRADLAUGH ASSERTS HIS RIGHTS. Scene in the House.

Te Aroha News, Volume 1, Issue 45, 12 April 1884, Page 4

BRADLAUGH ASSERTS HIS RIGHTS. Scene in the House.

The news that Mr Bradlaugh intended to once more assert his rights to a seat in the House of Commons on Monday evening lastwas quite enough to draw a large and curious crowd to Westminster early on the afternoon of that day. The weather, however, was unpropitious for a public demonstration, and so were the police. Not only did rain descend in torrents, but it was a case of "no admission except on business " into Palace Yard. Members drove rapidly up in close carriages, and when about 4 p.m. the martyr Bradlaugh made his appearance in a lamentably seedy four-wheeled cab, very few bystanders even recognised him. Inside the House, however, all was bustle and suppressed excitement. The aspect of " the Commons " When Mr Speaker took the chair indicated a matter of engrossing interest. " Every seat " (says Mr H. W Lucy, from whose graphic account of the scene I now propose to quote) had been engaged on the Opposition side, and thei*e were very few not disposed of on the other. The galleries were soon crowded, including those for Peers and distinguished strangers, while from the general though suppressed excitement it might have been supposed that the fate of an Empire— or, at least, of a Ministry — was at stake, rather than the Parliamentary privileges of the burly person sitting yonder under the gallery quietly surveying the scene. Honourable members did not at once reach the jam of the tart they had come to enjoy, but bit round it, so to speak, all question time, which was unusually prolonged and full of incident— arising, perhaps, from the highly charged Btate of the atmosphere. The forty-four questions on the paper being nearly exhausted, Mr Bradlaugh came down from his seat under the gallery and stood just below the bar, flanked by Mr Labouchere and Mr Burt. He loomed large there upon the House, and looked the embodiment of massive determination. But this modern Peri was kept long waiting for a chance of breaking into Paradise. After Mr Dixon-Hartland had "tackled" Mr Chamberlain on a question of patronage, and come off decidedly second-best, Mr Forster, by means of a question to the Prime Minister, started the topic of the beleaguered garrisons in the Soudau> The right hon. member for Bradford desired-to draw out his former chief, of course in a friendly and sympathetic way, and in the interest not only of humanity, but, perhaps, of party also. Mr Gladstone was not to be drawn. Till the morrow evening his lips were closed by force of circumstances. Then he would speak and fully, but not even partially before. This was quite enough for an alert and somewhat excited Opposition, who forthwith plunged into the delectable sport of Premier-baiting. Hon. members rose in twos and threes, eager to contribute to the bundle of manifold sins and wickednesses laid at the door of the Government by way of provocation. There were humanitarian members, humiliated members, indignant members, scornful members, pitying members ; but Mr Gladstone, though he often put his head out of the Ministerial cave and made reply, either had nothing to tell, or would tell nothing. Like Pio Nono, he passively resisted threats, and cried, "Non possumus" to all suggestions. Vainly, therefore, the Opposition waves beat against the rock of his resolve, and in course of time they began to lull. Then was Mr Bradlaugh's opportunity. The Peri stepped over the " crystal bar " into the place so much desired, without invitation. Mr Speaker saw no hon. member waiting to be sworn. Officially he was blind to Mr Bradlaugh's presence as a candidate for the oath ; but no sooner had the member for Northampton crossed the magic boundary than Sir Henry Brand rose and looked him full in the face. What might have followed so dignified and imposing an action with an ordinary man as its object need not now be discussed. Mr Bradlaugh is not an ordinary man, and nothing followed. He no doubt felt that, in the language of Pleaceman X, " there was a hi upon 'im," but he shrank not from its remonstrant and reproving fire. Rather did he take long strides to the encounter, Mr Labouchere endeavouring to keep pace with him on one hand, while Mr Burt hurried along on the other. At this moment, as the Speaker looked unutterable things, the Opposition angrily murmured, the Liberals kept silence, and the skirt of Mr Bradlaugh's block frock coat expanded with the wind of his own motion, the spectacle was thrilling. Every man in the place looked all eyes and ears, as became a legislative body about to vindicate its zeal for morality and religion, which, as we all know, are higher things than those ordinarily dealt with by Acts of Parliament. Mr Bradlaugh was soon at the table and under the very eye of the still upstanding Speaker, the glare of which he had now to endure alone, his supportors having returned to their seats. Not a whit dismayed, the elect of Northampton spread one paper on a pile of books before him, and began to read from another, at the same time holding a small volume in his left hand. His voice was inaudible, but an offended Opposition knew very well what he was about, and up among them went the groan that profanation of sacred things instinctively draws from the breast of genuine piety. That cry may have been set down to the credit of the Conservatives elsewhere, but it was wasted on Mr Bradlaugh, who calmly put the small volume to his lips, scribbled something on the first paper, deposited the second and the little book with it, and then walked backwards to the bar, bowing as he went. A moment more and the self-sworn member was seated in his place. So was Mr Speaker, his faith shaken, perhaps, in the power of that eye which, according to Mr J. L\ Toole, had such a dreadful effect upon "poor Jones." Act the First of the moving drama ended here. Mr Speaker rose to open the Second Act. He seemed greatly agitated, and paused more than once as though to recover himself when calling upon Mr Bradlaugh to retire that the House might consider his conduct. Mr Bradlaugh did retire— to his seat under the gallery, whence he witnessed the rising of his old antagonist, Sir Stafford Northcote. The Opposition leader was quite calm and businesslike when moving his now familiar disqualifying resolution, which he did in a very few words. For him there was no need of argument. The executioner does not reason about the case of the man he is about to decapitate. Mr Gladstone, who next rose, manifested the same quiet and reasonable spirit, remarking, in almost conversational style, that the Government retained their former position in the case, and that he looked upon the action of the majority as unconstitutional, and even contrary to law. One thing, however, they were prepared to do —prosecute Mr Bradlaugh on behalf of the Crown should he sit and vote, in order to bring all the circumstances under judicial purviSw. Mr O'Donnell having interposed at this moment , on a point of

(order,, and* been , disposed of, Mr Labouchere proceeded to let loose the waters of strife. The senior representative of Northampton first instructed hon. members opposite in the law of the case, at which they were irreverent enough to laugh, and from law he went to principle, proclaiming his agreement with Mr Bradlaugh as to the "unmeaning" formula, "So help me God." So far from attacting any grave significance to that expression, he looked upon it as "superstitious rubbish," on a par with the " mumbo jumbo " rites of Central Africa. Much other did Mr Labouchere say of the same bold kind, till his speech, frequently interrupted by exclamations, had stirred the serried phalanx in his front to unmistakable resentment. Here was another Bradlaugh sitting in the very midst of the assembly, so carefully guarded against contamination ; and the sight stirred the righteous soul of Mr Frank Hugh O'Donnell, who at once stepped forward to champion outraged religion. Both in sorrow and in anger the hon. member for Dungarvon wanted to know whether such insults to the faith were permissible. Mr Speaker answered that the responsibility as well as the speech was Mr Labouchere's, and the chair had not to judge in such matters. But Mr Labouchere had not finished. "You are only trying to waste time," said he to the Opposition, and the charge came back in prolonged clamour meant to put the accuser down. In this it ' failed, as did an individual effort on tke part of Lord Randolph Churchill. Triumphant over all "alarums and excursions," Mr Labouchere got in one more shot, taunting the Conservatives with "sanctimonious sophistry," and then subtided. Lord Randolph thereupon took occasion to remark that the senior member for Northampton's tirade was "unworthy of notice by any rational being," and Mr Forster, speaking less directly, observed that he should vote against Sir S. Northcote's motion, in spite of the speech just heard. By this time the group of representatives from the Isle of Saints had taken the full measure of the iniquity represented by the elect of Northampton, and were ready to rush with more than crusading zeal into the fray. Mr Healy, looking through his glasses at Mr Bradlaugh wanted to know why the offending member was not pnt outside, and his colleagues, remembering their own complete expulsion, cheered the question. Poor Mr Speaker, who had a lively time of it, explained why, and then Sir S. Northcote, as things were getting mixed, brought the House back to his motion. Only for a moment, however. Led by Mr O'Donnell, the Parnellites gave tongue once more in favour of putting Mr Bradlaugh out, and another long wrangle followed, punctuated by an amendment from Mr Sexton, at which even Mr Speaker's gravity gave way, and by Lord R. Churchill's demand for a "luminous" decision from the chair. At last the question was put, and Mr Bradlaugh went out with the "Noes' to record his vote. Further entanglement followed. Mr Healy, still unsatisfied, moved to disallow Mr Bradlaugh's vote before declaring the numbers, and had the supreme satisfaction, after letting loose more strong feeling and hard words, of leading the whole Conservative party into the lobby with him and his compatriots. Mr Bradlaugh's vote was disallowed by 258 to 161, and on the figures of the previous division, as thus amended, being announced, they proved to be 280—167. Even then the matter was not over. Mr Bradlaugh having voted a second time, and, as the House could not go on moving in a vicious circle, Sir S. Northcote proposed that the Sergeant-at-Arms be instructed to keep Mr Bradlaugh outside the precincts of the House until he had engaged not to disturb its proceedings. On the part of his colleague, Mr Labouchere gave this assurance, and both Mr Bright and Mr Gladstone deprecated pressing the motion. But the Conservatives were not in generous mood. They had a majority, and pushed its power to the "bitter end," Mr Bradlaugh, on a third division, being excluded by 228 votes to 120. The hon. members, proud, no doubt, of having successfully vindicated the sanctity of an oath, the purity of their Chambers, and their own repute for consistency, went to dinner.