THE GAG IS PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume X, Issue 510, 19 January 1883, Page 9

THE GAG IS PARLIAMENT.

(Dublin Nov. 18.) On Saturday morning the House of Commons divided on Sir Stafford Nortbcote's amendment to the first of Mr. Gladstone's resolutions. A very large but by no means a full Chamber had assembled to vote Cloture or No Cloture. The division bell sent 664 members into the lobbies; 260 supported Sir Stafford Northcote, 301 followed Mr. Gladstone. The Government carried the gag, the whole gag, and nothing but the gag, by 44 votes. Five hundred and sixty members voted in the division on Mr. Gibson's proposal — that is, four less than the number answering the summons last night. The Government on that occasion had 322 followers, against 304 last night, and the Opposition mustered 260 last night, against 238 on the former occasion. The Government majority was, therefore, reduced from 84, which it numbered when pitted against Mr. Gibson, to 44, to which it dwindled last night. This has to be ascribed to the Irish Party casting their weight into the scale against the Government. The analysis of the Irish vote shows the following result : — Against Cloture ... ... ... 52 For „ ... ... ... 26 Absent Members ... ... ... 16 Paired ditto ... ... ... 8 Vacant Seat ... ... ... 1 Disfranchised Seats ... ... ... 2 Total ... ... 105 We have already more than once explained the reasons guiding ' the policy of the Irish Party. They have no sympathy with either of the English sides. Both Whigs and Tories are quite ready to pass the Cloture for the Irish representatives.. The action of these latter was, therefore, to do their best to foil a plan which would suit their adveisaries quite well enough, and to contrive that, if the Cloture was to be imposed, at least ie should be that form of it which might be applied at some time or another to an English party by English opponents. They have succeeded in effecting this. They have failed in preventing the Cloture. The great Liberal Minister, by a strange destiny, was reserved to strike the greatest blow at the freedom of speech in Parliament— at that which had always been considered the palladium of popular rights, and the main constitutional shield against the wrongs which might could inflict or perpetuate.