204 



DISCIPLINARY POWER OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES. 



There is no termination to such proceedings ex- 

 cept through the physical exhaustion of the 

 contestants, or concessions on the part of the 

 majority. 



In the session of Parliament of 1877, seven 

 members from Ireland introduced the method 

 resorted to in the Congress of the United States. 

 Their object was to obstruct or to arrest the 

 legislative machinery, and thus demonstrate the 

 absolute necessity of a national Parliament for 

 Ireland. It was in the month of July, and 

 about three weeks remained of the session, and 

 the question was on a bill relating to South Af- 

 rica. Mr. Parnell, the member from Meath, 

 took the lead, O'Donnell and Biggar followed 



SIB STAFFORD NOBTHCOTE SUGGESTS THE SUSPENSION OF MB. PABNELL. 



near ; afterward came Kirk, Gray, Nolan, and 

 Power, always active, always ready to take the 

 place of those whom an excess of fatigue had 

 obliged to retire for a moment to refresh their 

 wearied powers. The sessions commenced at 4 

 o'clock P.M. That of July 24th continued un- 

 til 2J A. M., ; that of the 25th continued until 6 

 A. M. ; and that of the 31st until 6J p. M. of the 

 next day. Mr. Parnell and Mr. O'Donnell alone 

 spoke hundreds of times and offered an ava- 

 lanche of amendments. Mr. O'Donnell had pre- 

 pared seventy-three; some were identical with 

 propositions already rejected by a formal vote.* 

 During the session of July 31st, Sir Stafford 

 Northcote suggested the parliamentary suspe'n- 

 sion of Mr. Parnell for some days. But so 

 great is the respect of the English people 



* To furnish a fuller view of the exciting occasion, three 

 sketches from the London "News " are inserted. 



for the rights of minorities and for individual 

 liberty, that it experienced a sense of relief 

 when it was understood that Sir Stafford would 

 not propose any measure of coercion, " as the 

 House was the best judge of its dignity." 



During the sessions of 1878 and 1879 simi- 

 lar obstructive measures were used, with far 

 greater skill. At the close of the latter, the 

 London "Economist" said: 



So far as relates to general legislation, the obstruc- 

 tionists have made the year entirely unproductive. 

 They have pushed the ministers and the members of 

 the House to such a pitch of impotent rage that their 

 satisfaction should be very great ; and through it all, 

 they have acted without any violation of order which 

 could furnish to a watchful and angry majority an oc- 

 casion, so much desired, to use retaliatory measures. 



In 1881 Ireland was extremely agitated. 

 Secret associations covered the land, and crimes 

 against life and property were multiplied be- 

 yond measure. In this state of affairs Mr. 

 Gladstone had Parliament convoked one month 

 in advance of the appointed date. Through 

 the action of Mr. Parnell and his colleagues, 

 three weeks were exhausted in an unusual de- 

 bate on the address in answer to the Queen's 

 message. Mr. Gladstone then brought for- 

 ward his " coercion bills " for Ireland (Protec- 

 tion of Person and Property Bill, and Peace 

 Preservation Bill). These bills afforded to the 

 House an opportunity to 

 _ -. give another illustration 



of that patience, of that 

 strength of resistance, and 

 of that respect for liberty, 

 which are the foundation 

 of the English character. 



The discussion of the 

 bills began on January 

 25th, at 4 P. M., and the 

 members from Ireland at 

 once entered upon the 

 contest. By the aid of 

 the Speaker,. Mr. Glad- 

 stone was able to set forth 

 reasons of urgency, which 

 became the question. The 

 session continued until 2 P. M. of the 26th ; 

 it next commenced on the 27th, and ad- 

 journed on the 28th ; but that of January 

 31st was the longest. It commenced at 4 

 p. M. on Monday, and had continued until 9J 

 A. M. of Wednesday, when Mr. Gladstone en- 

 tered the House and was greeted with enthu- 

 siastic applause. The ministerial benches were 

 immediately filled, the Speaker resumed the 

 chair-in place of the deputy Speaker, and im- 

 mediately addressed the House. Alluding to 

 the condition in which they were placed, and 

 that an important measure, recommended in 

 the speech from the throne a month previous, 

 and declared urgent for the interest of the 

 state by a decisive majority, had been held in 

 check by an insignificant minority, which had 

 resorted to a mode of " obstruction " rated as 

 a parliamentary offense by the assembly, he 



