The Daily Telegraph THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3058, 14 April 1881, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1881.

The assumption of what may be called dictatorship by the Speaker of the House of Commons, on the occasion of a recent debate, appears to have created a widespread feeling or dissatisfaction in England, and that the feeling is not a party one is shown by the fact that his action is condemned by different sections of the press. Tbe press in America is almost unanimous in its condemnation, and the inheritance by that country of similar institutions gives its opinion upon such a subject special importance. That the occasion which brought about this exercise of arbitrary power was lamentable is admitted on all hands, but there is grave doubt as to whether the occasion justified such an extreme measure. The Speaker takes the entire responsibility on his own shoulders, and pleads, in justification of his action, a sense of duty to the House. So Napoleon 111. declared that, in setting aside the constitution which he had .worn to obey, he acted on his own responsibility, and from a sense of his duty to Frauce. A departure from binding laws can surely oaly be justified on the ground that those laws have fallen into inextricable confusion, and tbat the obstructionists saw fit to indulge in lawlessness, is surely no excuse for the ruler of Bucb a dignified assembly as the House of Commons becoming lawless also. The spectacle is surely an undesirable one of a Speaker, who has himself by confession violated the rules which it is tbe first duty of his office to observe, setting them in force against members who have not more signally disregarded them. That the Speaker went beyond the law of Parliament is admitted on all hands, and some idea of tbe exasperation felt in the House against the obstructionist may be be obtained from tbe fact that the great majority on both sides of the House condoned a breach of law by their representative of law and order.

The new rules for the guidance of debate in the House which the extreme actioo of the irreconcilables is thought to have rendered necessary, and which, by implication, condone the action of the Speaker in so arbitrarly closing the debate, are as follows : —

1. That on a motion being made, after notice, that the Chairman of a Committee upon any bill declared urgent do report the same to the House on or before a certain clay and hour, the question thereupon shall be put forthwith from the Chair, but shall not be decided in the affirmative unless voted by a majority of three to one. 2. That when the House has ordered that the consideration of a bill as amended be ooncluded on or before a certain day and hour, the several new clauses and amendments shall be put forthwith, after the member who has moved any new clause or amendment and a member in charge of the bill has himself moved a new clause or amendment, after one other member has been once heard thereupon.

3. That when the House has ordered that the Chairman of a Committee on a bill do report the same on or before a certain day ancl hour, the several amendments and new clauses not yet disposed of shall be put forthwith, after the member who has moved any amendment or new clause and a member in charge of the bill has himself moved an amendment or new clause, after one other member has been once heard thereupon ; and if the proceedings of the Committee have not been concluded at the appointed hour the Chairman shall leave the chair and report the bill to the House.

The action of the House in thus deligating its power of closing debate, to a very great extent, to the Speaker, is one of very considerable gravity, and its results remain to be seen. During the debates upon the Irish Land Bill its utility will be tried to the utmost, and this departure from old established r_le will be one to be deeply regretted if it should, in the slightest degree, tend to stifle the fullest consideration of questions which are of vital importance to one portion of the Empire.