122 WITH MR. CHAMBERLAIN IN THE 



occurred late in the afternoon. I had been speaking 

 about an hour when laughter from a group of 

 Senators on the Republican side attracted my atten- 

 tion, followed by conversation in tones almost as 

 pronounced as my own. I raised my voice so as 

 to attract the attention of the disturbers, and the 

 President quietly touched his desk with his gavel. 

 The noise ceased temporarily. It caused me no 

 little regret later to discover that this breach of the 

 dignity of the Senate had been caused by Mr. 

 Chamberlain of England. I say regret because had 

 I known that Mr. Chamberlain was the disturber, I 

 would have said that if I were forced to submit to 

 the carelessness of the associates of the Senate- 

 chamber, I was not bound to bear the bad manners 

 brought from over the sea by one who failed to 

 appreciate the privileges of the Senate floor. How- 

 ever, I say it with renewed emphasis this morning." 



In order that Senator Voorhees' accusation might 

 not get ahead of any explanation or defence that Mr. 

 Chamberlain might feel inclined to offer, a Post 

 reporter waited on the *' right honourable gentleman " 

 yesterday evening and invited him to reply ; but 

 reply he had none to make. He simply smiled, 

 rather contemptuously, at Senator Voorhees' words, 

 as he read them, and said : ** No, I have nothing to 

 say." 



The rapping of the gavel on the table of the Senate 

 on Wednesday showed that Senator Ingalls regarded 

 Mr. Chamberlain as out of order. But the rapping 

 of the gavel was nothing compared with the rapping 

 which Senator Ingalls may be expected to give to 



