UNPARALLELED SCENES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 64, 6 September 1911, Page 7

UNPARALLELED SCENES

1 UPROAR IN THE • COMMONS. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER REFUSED A HEARING. SPEAKER ADJOURNS THE HOUSE. London, July 28. The pen can scarcely do justice to the disgraceful scene which took place in the House of Commons last 'Monday afternoon, when 'Mr. Asquith tried in vain for three-quarters of an hour to explain the reasons which had actuated him in tendering advice to the King as to the use of his prerogative in connection with the passing of the Parliament BiK. For the first time in the history of Parliament a Prime Minister and leader of the House was refused a hearing. It was- no spontaneous outbreak of disorderliness on the part of the Unionists, but an organised affair deliberately planned by a section of the Opposition with the sole object of preventing Mr. AsquUh's speech on the constitutional crisis. The plotters were eminently successful in their immediate abject, but it was a success over which no man with any real decency of feeling could be otherwise than ashamed. In the present stage of the constitutional crisis it is natural that men should feel strongly, but there is absolutely nothing to justify the child-ish-eum-hooligan conduct of which many of the Opposition were guilty on Mon- i day. Not only did they treat Mr. Asquith with gross discourtesy, but they showed little respect for the chair, and less still for the proud traditions of the Mother of Parliaments. MR. BALFOUR KEEPS SILENT.

Still, out of evil good iriay come. Monday's scene in the House has undoubtedly given public interest in political affairs a much-needed fllip. People today really seem to be taking a far keener interest in Parliamentary affairs, and to be studying much more closely tlie pros and cons «f the constitutional changes which Mr. Asquith proposes to bring about, than they have done for months past. Nevertheless, Monday's tumult in the House can only be looked upon as a most regrettable incident, refleeting discredit, not only on those members of the Opposition who took an active part in the disturbance, but upon tliose who were content to remain passive, spectators of the scene. These included Mr, Balfour.. An appeal from him might have carried weight even with the [ youngest "bloods" of tho Tory party, l. h » h "££&&? cf ths was I dumb. Once ,or twice when the uproar was at-its worst Mr. Asquith looked hard at Mr.J3alfour, in mute appeal for his: intervention, but Mr. BaJfour, leaning H'ell back in his seat, his eyes half closed, /hjs:arms folded', remained unmoved. Per■hiips >,e-knew that the organisers of the rowdyism .were men who had thrown off .their allegiance to him and would not obey his call for decent behaviour. Even so, he might have made an effort to hiring them -to; reason.| By doing so he would at least have disassociated himself from the rowdy: ill-mannered crew ■rfho w.ere baiting Mr. AsquitV and by failing to do so he made himself a party to their caddish behaviour.

; ,;, :A'N iEXCITED HOUSE. • ■A ! long 'time has claps«d • siiicfi the ijou's'e'was *o crowded'as oil Monday iftjtrijoon. Legislators crowded the tiers qf'&wits to'right and left of the' Speaker,' rtmi oVe'r'llowed' into 'both side' galleries. Several had to'bc content with''seats on tflie-stejte of-the £arigways. Some could' flnfl'iTO' seats 'at -all,' and itood iii a com-' 1 sacx mass'at' the liar. 'The peers' gal-' Eery ',was Hllfcd early, l arid latecomers to staml in the entrance Mwridorj'i Where they'could hoar,'without seeing, Oiueli bf wliat 'tooV'pla*e'.' , '' , li'be W<Hnnry/ strangers' gailleries werc'-pac-kdd to the of conversation made tlie'-noiise' hum' like a' gigaiVticMhive'.alJ:! through question time!' The Utilise sce'tnfd'dt;firstjn:m'e'r'yy -mood'. There, were ()tifS(ts v 'o'f 'ironical' oFfcers ■ When'-menlbcps raised' their voices to sboiit in order- to'' make 1 flie'fr : ([fiY««it)'n'i ■lsea'rjl l !kbpi?J , i.tfce'i fliu-of-'private'argument. .: ':'!'••. ■ i Hwis'e, j,ow;irds the Vlosc.' of the' ''question's, he • iVaS'rWH'raf with ringing ellcbrs 'by the' \"atfonaliste iilid their. Liberal and Labor lilies, the''Unionists joining? ironically in the cheering. Shortly afterwards Mr. istpiith" walked in. The' Liberals. Labor lie'inbers and Nationalists at once rose .o their feet 'and broke out iuto'entlWsi'-: ;istie j>laiiditp, many of theni waving lia'tidfici'cliiefs- or.' order''' papers' wildly jibove their heads. "Then'chim.' theories: X)f' , "triut6r" from above the: Opposition I'aiig^ay.' .and they were presently' vojieated. -The Speaker rose awt appealed" to hnn..''membefs"lo restrain "themselves, ift'wa* jus* after this that' Mr.' Balfour' jnade his appearance. Following the example setby the coalition, the Unionists ppranJSf■'•!<> 'their feet antf eheered lustily juul'lol'VA'. j It was lioW evident that the'Houae was' sii a highly-excited condition, but fetv jwe're prepared for the extraordinary scene that was'to follow. ' "

• Mi - .' Asqulth went to the' tabic (it jtwimty-three minutes to four o'clock. il'Jo iras' standing there tillaboiit 'twenty imimitos past, except'on the numerous joecitsions when lie had to give way to ithe 'Speaker or to members who wis'hed ito raise points of order. Tims lie was (attempting for nearly three-quarters of jail hour to address the House. Dueiug .'.that period hardly two consecutive sentences reached the press gallery. !, .-.■ TRAITOR, TRAITOR!"

! There was another great, outburst of Ministeriajistic, cheering when Mr. AsjijititJi -.-rose to move that . the- Lords' 'amendments to < the • Parliament Bill -should-he considered, but no sooner. had ,'llie cheering suhsid'.'d than shouts- ol |"Tiraitort traitor!" were again -raised by ithe, Unionists. "I hops.lion, meinbcrs. jare going' to show ©rdivmry. Padiiamen;tary courtesy," said the Speaker. JJnt ;no sooner did Mr. Asquith 'attempt to 'commence 'his speech -than ..the., accusation of. treason was again levelled at ihim:., ■•Then Mr. Will Crooks rose, to lonics 1 , lie .announced the fact ina voice jof thunder, hut before lie could indicate ; what the point of order was, even his ;mighty voice w«s drowned \n. a., chorus .of discordant cries. The Speaker ..again :intervened, and- begged tlinu,]' l ? -JllMof courtesy should be. neeoi'ded • to the Prime "Let Uiei''conduct of the House he worthy of the occasion/ 1 he said. ' ' .

'A'B lii" at down Lord H>.gFi'*cV->l' ros6, lmt tin 1 Speaker called' on' Mr.'Asquith. The l'lime/'-Mini-ter rose, arid ' liis ! lips began to/movc again. Not a'word could lie heard from him, for' Lord' Hugh Cecil and 'others '■ inmUxiiitely 'began ' to/ cry' "Divide, divide, 'vide, vide,'' in. a monotonous thorns.

There \vs»S"' - ffinottior-':npppai from the Spoakpi\ The only response was- a ve- I iiewal of the constantly-repeated cries j of '"'])) vide." The hubbub rose and fell. I 'Hie Prime Minister stood silent at the jj •table, his cheeks aflame, his lips com- j| pressed, his eyes ablaze. A further re- , epiest from the Speaker for silence was*; answered by Lord Hugh Cecil with the, incomplete sentence: "Prostituting the King's name ." When Mr. Lowtheri pointed out that the House had not heard what the Prime Minister had to say there was another cry of "Traitor!" ''Hear wliafc he says," pleaded the I Speaker, but his pica was all in rain. THE UNDELIVERED SPEECH". An so the singular scene proceeded. Occasionally Mr, Asquith managed to

utter an audible word or two, but the I din at once recommenced. When the. Prime Minister J'.-.d been on his feet for' a, quarter of an hour there were cries of ""Redmond," followed by such remarks as "The real Lender," and "We'll listen to Redmond." The Nationalist leader, however, only smiled scornfully. Presently there wni a lull in the storm, and Mr. Asquitli cou'il he heard saying: "But for the deatli of the King "At this there was a new outburst. "Oh, oh," "Leave the King out," wild " Who killed the King J" "You said you would not hold office,' were shouted at the Premier. In the meantime, whenever other sounds died down one could hear a subdued but continuous " Dividc-divide-divkle-divide," the words being so rapidly repeated that they became transformed into a deep buzzing as.of a great bumble-bee. At last the Prime Minister made as though he was going to resume his seat. His followers raised a vociferous cheer, He r spoke a few words to Mr. Winston Churchill, and then rapidly turned the pftges of liis typewritten speech till he came to the last slip. Some of the Unionists now raised cries of "Order." "I am not going to degrade myself," said Mr. Asquith. "You've done it already," was the prompt retort of a Unionist. The Prime Minister went on to say that, as the House was obviously resolved not to listen him, lie would simply state the conclusion at which the Government had arrived, namely, that unless the Lords restore the Bill subject to reasonable amendment, to the shape in which it left the Commons the Government will evoke the Prerogative of the Crown. When. Mr. Asquith saf; down the whole of the Coalition again cheered him clamorously.

COALS OF FIRE. When Mr. Balfour rose to reply to the undelivered speech, some members of the Government called/ for silence, with the evident intention of pouring coals of fire on the heads of the Unionists. - The Opposition leader consequently had a quiet hearing, though he made a most vigorous onslaught on the Government. He began by expressing regret that lie had not been able to hear the speech ol the Prime 'Minister. Such a proceeding, ha said, as that in which the Government had inJulged could, not fail to excite deep and passionate feeling, but it was nevertheless desirable that the matters.in question should be discussed. Mr. Balfour proceeded to accuse the Prime Minister.of having misused the Prerogative of the Crown with the single object of preventing the electors giving their verdict on. the Home Rule question, j The Crown, he said, had been put under practical compulsion "upon an excuse so trumpery and contemptible that it jvoulfli not justify the maWng of a single Peer." This was loudly cheered by the Opposi-" tion,, The plaudits were repeated when Mr. Balfour affirmed that Mr. Asquith had arrogated to himself powers which no Republican Dictator in the world possessed. " But, after all," he said, "the real heroes of the engagement are there," and' he waved his hand towards the' Nationalist benches. Mr. Balfour added that the Nationalists had issued their decrees that the Constitution should be'trampled on- and the Crown drugged in the dust, and they had ibeen humbly and 1 ' obsequiously obeyed.

THE SFEAKER ADJOURNS THE ••-•■■.■• HOUSE.

I Si'r'EtNrttl'd Grey, who followed, having expressed strong resentment at the treatment, accorded the Premier, then moved the adjournment of the House. Mr. P. E. Smith, it.C, rose to speak on .this proposal,'hut pandemonium broke out ■again,, c'rie.§.. : of "Divids" drowning his voice. "And'then the Speaker intervened !to put ,'a isutnhiiiry end to matters. He ; read, the standing order empowering the occupant of the chair in a case of grave (disorder to 1 bring a sitting to a close ynihotit ( a''qiiestioii put. "in my opinion," he..asid, "a case of grave disorder >ha,k arisen. and.,'!ax'tiii l g under the order, I how'a*ljotiVn the House." j Mr. Lawth'er'was loudly cheered as he jvalked out ra^theHouse. As the members of the Government followed, a member of the at the top of his voice: "linn away, you cads." No notice whs- taken of the offensive observation, ami mem"i>ers trooped out of the flwi&iMM'hmrt.ifurther -incident.

i One point worthy-of passing note is the incfci'thflfe -alt:'through' the tumult the rish pniilyijqa.fe qiiwt as mice, amused pc'tftators rif itl>e<«torjn of passion that Qniwd-'ttnd'-Sttrgeil.'-irchoHt them. Mr. nCTnai'tl!Stliii*:finet! declared the Anglofvaxon it.iv hri-tlie romantic, emotional, uid'.**t>ltaM>;. cr.ea.tuTc,. and the Irishnan the phlegmatic-, icold and calculator, person. Monday's proceedings in .ho justified G.B.S.'s >aradox,