MR. PARNELL'S AMENDMENT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VIII, Issue 415, 25 March 1881, Page 17

MR. PARNELL'S AMENDMENT.

Thk following description of tbe scene in the House on Wednesday, January 12th, when the Government tried to steal a march on the private members, is taken from the Pall Mall Gazette: — There was but one other interrogatory on the paper, and this, in the absence of the Minister to whom it was addressed, was postponed ; and now tbe way seemed smooth either for the married ladies of Scot* land or tbe motion which stood in the name of Mr. Gladstone asking precedence for the resumption of the debate on Mr. Parnell's amendment. Mr. Forster, instead of moving this motion, took the course of asking Mr. Anderson to withdraw his hill, and there was a similar request to Mr. Hinde Palmer, who had on the paper a measure of like import. The two members thus appealed to made the reply which members always do make in such circumstance* ; exposed to an unsympathetic House, their bosoms torn between love for their bills and allegiance to the Ministry, they, swearing they would ne'er consent, of course consented. All then was going smoothly, and there was the pleasant prospect of a day devoted to the speeches of Mr. Biggar and Dr. Commins. A very innocent intervention by Mr. Joseph Cowea did not by any means appear calculated to delay progress, for tbe member for Newcastle did no more than remonstrate with his uaatl gentleness and in his characteristic terseness against the new invasion of the fast receding rights of private members. Mr. E. D. Gray, however, raised another point of controversy by complaining that due notice had not been given of the intentions of the Government. Several other Lisa members followed with a similar complaint, and pointed in proof of their being taken by surprise to the emptiness of th=ir benches and the absence of Mr. Parnell. These statements, of course, involved counter statements from tbe Ministerial benches; and Mr. Arnold, and Mr. Bylands, who believes in his power to melt the adamantine hearts of the Home Balers, solemnly asserted that they fully believed and knew that the debate on the address would be resumed on Wednesday. At last Mr. Forster, who has had in his new office a large training in the scriptural art of giving the soft answer that turnetb away wrath, intervened, and, in that somewhat good-humoured style which has given place to the irrepressible bitterness of his first few days in Parliament, declared that an Irish member was not to be taken by surprise. Then he protested that regularity and convenience required the debate on the address to proceed without interruption de die in diem. A slight diversion was mide at this point by the intervention of Lord Eustace Cecil, who, elated by the prospect of being able to speak as a leader of Opposition — for he was still alone on the front Opposition beach — made the statement that he and his friends were not prepared for the resumption of the debate until the private bills had been got rid of — a disastrous admission, of which the Home Rulers made effective use, and which Sir (Stafford Northcote some time after completely threw overboard. By this time Mr. Parnell had come into the House. The Home Rule leader then joined in the complaint of the conduct of the Government, and in his blandest tones suggested, as a friendly compromise, that the debate should stop at four o'clock, in order to give time for a motion of his calling for a select committee to inquie into the alleged outrages in Ireland. Lord Hartington would have nothing to do with such a proposal, and again pointed out the desirability of continuing the debate on the address. Discussion still proceeded, and after some time Sir Stafford Northcote threw over Lord Eustace Cecil in the manner already indicated, and declared that be at least was quite prepared to find the debate resumed on tha address. Mr. Beie*ford Hope, appearing on the scene in the gentle character of a mediator, succeeded, in making the confusion worse confounded, and complaints arose as to waste of time. It was now half-past three, and Mr. Parnell, on behalf of his following, professed himself satisfied with tbe discussion and was content with one division — that on a motion for adjournment proposed by one of his friends. The division on this point showed 230 on the aide of the Government and 33 on that of the Home Rulers, Mr. Joseph Cowen being in the minority. The debate on the address, having been reached by this stormy and chequered passage, had most of the life out of it before it began ; and Mr. Blennerbassett made a speech which was delivered to almost empty benches. The evening wound up with an address from Mr. Shaw Lefevre, which, while vigorous in denunciation of the Land League was firm and outspoken on the necessity for a strong, complete, and final settlement of the land question.