366 



GEEAT BRITAIN. 



never be renewed in its present form. It was 

 impossible to predict the result if this commis- 

 sion should be refused. The defeat of the mo- 

 tion would spread dismay throughout the coun- 

 try. Dr. Kenealy spoke three hours. He was 

 followed by Mr. Whalley, who seconded the 

 motion. The Attorney-General, Sir Henry 

 James, Mr. Disraeli, and Mr. Bright, opposed 

 the motion, which was finally rejected by 1 

 to 433. 



Among other subjects discussed by the House 

 of Commons during the month of April was 

 the woinan's-suifrage question. On April 

 7th a lengthy debate took place on a bill intro- 

 duced by Mr. Fawcett to enable unmarried 

 women to vote at elections for members of 

 Parliament. Messrs. Chaplin, Leatham, and 

 Smollett, made speeches in opposition to the 

 measure. Mr. Smollett said the agitation em- 

 anated from turbulent women in America. 

 The bill, if passed, would enfranchise women 

 who gained their livelihood by immorality. 

 The House, upon a division, refused to order 

 the bill to its second reading by a vote of 152 

 to 187. Mr. Disraeli voted with the minority. 



On May 4th a motion was offered by the 

 Marquis of Hartingdon that the House should 

 not entertain any complaint with respect to 

 the publication of its proceedings, except in 

 cases of willful misrepresentation, or when 

 publication is prohibited, and that strangers 

 shall not be obliged to withdraw unless they 

 are disorderly, or by special direction of the 

 House. A vote on the motion was not taken 

 until May 31st, when it was rejected. Mr. 

 Disraeli then moved that, if attention is called 

 by any member to the presence of strangers, 

 the House shall decide by division whether 

 they withdraw ; furthermore, that the Speak- 

 er be empowered to order their withdrawal 

 whenever he thinks fit. Mr. Disraeli's motion 

 was adopted. 



A violent scene occurred in the House of 

 Commons on July 22d. Mr. Disraeli announced 

 that the Government had abandoned the Mer- 

 chants' Shipping bill for the session, and ex- 

 pressed the hope that the session would be 

 closed on the 10th or 12th of August, or pos- 

 sibly at an earlier date. Mr. Plimsoll took the 

 floor and delivered a speech in which he vio- 

 lently attacked the Government. He said the 

 consequence of the abandonment of the bill 

 would be the destruction of thousands of lives. 

 He spoke vehemently and excitedly, using ex- 

 traordinary epithets, stamping his feet and 

 gesticulating wildly, setting the House in an 

 uproar. Mr. Plimsoll added that he was de- 

 termined to unmask these villains. Upon 

 being called to order, he advanced to the table 

 and gave notice that he would ask, on July 

 27th, whether certain vessels which had been 

 lost, entailing great sacrifice of life, belonged 

 to Mr. Bates, member for Plymouth. Mr. Dis- 

 raeli moved that Mr. Plimsoll be removed from 

 the House. The Speaker ordered Mr. Plimsoll 

 to withdraw his remarks, but the latter left 



the Chamber, shaking his fist at the Govern- 

 ment benches as he went out. The House 

 then began discussion as to what action it was 

 proper to take in regard to Mr. Plimsoll's con- 

 duct. Several speakers urged his excitability 

 as an excuse for his offense. Mr. Bates subse- 

 quently made a personal explanation in regard 

 to the remarks of Mr. Plimsoll concerning 

 himself. He acknowledged that he had lost 

 five ships during the last two years, but said 

 they were well equipped, were classed A No. 

 1 at Lloyd's, and were only insured for part of 

 their value. He expressed pity for Mr. Plim- 

 soll, who, he said, was not responsible for his 

 action. Messrs. T. E. Smith. Liberal member 

 for Tynemouth, and Mr. Rathbone, Liberal 

 member, for Liverpool, protested against the 

 Government's course. They declared that the 

 suspense and uncertainty which would be pro- 

 duced by the withdrawal of the Merchants' 

 Shipping bill would be injurious to the ship- 

 ping interest. In a protest placed by Mr. 

 Plimsoll on the table of the House of Com- 

 mons, he says : u I protest in the name of 

 God against the delay of the Shipping bill. 

 Although the bill itself is an atrocious sham, 

 there is enough humanity and knowledge 

 in the House to change it into a good meas- 

 ure." He denounced the present laws against 

 breach of contract, which leave sailors who 

 have unknowingly agreed to sail in unsea- 

 worthy ships the alternative of the jail or 

 death, and continued : "I charge the Govern- 

 ment with wittingly and unwittingly playing 

 into the hands of the maritime murderers in- 

 side and outside the House, to secure the con- 

 tinuance of the present murderous system. I 

 desire to unmask the villains who sit in this 

 House, fit representatives of the more numer- 

 ous but not greater villains outside. I demand 

 that the bill be proceeded with. Failing in 

 this, I lay upon the heads of the premier and 

 his colleagues the blood of all wbo'perish next 

 winter from preventable causes, and denounce 

 against him and them the wrath of God !" The 

 impression produced in the country by these 

 scenes in the House of Commons was intense, 

 and public opinion unmistakably and emphat- 

 ically supported Mr. Plimsoll. At a number 

 of public meetings resolutions expressing sym- 

 pathy with and pledging support to him were 

 adopted. The Earl of Shaftesbury published a 

 letter to Mr. Plimsoll, earnestly sympathizing 

 with him in his efforts to better the condition 

 of seamen, and advising him to appear in the 

 House and adhere to the views he expressed, 

 but to signify his regret that excitement led 

 him to violate the rules of debate. A majority 

 of the prominent daily and weekly journals 

 expressed a similar view. On July 26th, in 

 the House of Commons, various notices of mo- 

 tions and questions were given, all reflecting 

 the depth of public indignation at the Govern- 

 ment's withdrawal of the Shipping bill. On 

 motion of Mr. Roebuck, July 29th was as- 

 signed for the second reading of Mr. Plimsoll's 



