The Review of Reviews. 



•:eiitember 1. in06. 



Melbourne Punch.} 



The Parliamentary Tragedy That Did Not Come Off. 



The Rev. Henry Worrall, of Bendigu, had a week 

 or so' previously condemned Sir Samuel Gillott and 

 the Parliament as responsible for the death of 

 McLeod. The condemnation was expressed in 

 lurid language, but was not beyond any citizen's 

 right. Anyone with average i>erc ption knew that 

 it was never intended that it should be understood 

 that anv member of Parliament was in the nicb 

 which murdered McLeod, but that by neglect to 

 bring in legislation to deal with these matters, it 

 was responsible for the results that followed the 

 neglect. That was comprehensible to everybody 

 but Parliament, which unanimously called him to the 

 Bar to explain his conduct. 



But Parliament reckoned without its 



The Right ^^^^ -^^ uproar raised was tre- 



f ree Speech, mendous. Victoria leaped to the 



'side of free speech. The actual 



identity of the man was secondary. An important 



principle was involved. Meetings were electric, 



newspai>ers full of the matter. The community 



discovered an attempt at suppression of criticism. 



an attempt which was indignantly opposed as being 



as autocratic or bureaucratic as Russia's novel and 



effective methods to stop free speech. Even those 



who, under ordinarv circumstances, would have 

 smiled contemptuously at the expression, or openly 

 condemned it, forciblv expressed the hope that the 

 ■victim ■ would stand to every word" he had said. 

 It came to be a fight between Parliament and the 

 fieople, and even before the trial Parliament stood 

 condemned. 



A 



House 

 Divided. 



When the trial came on, excitement 

 was intense. The Government 

 was uneasy. Mr. Worrall manfully 

 stood his ground. He retracted no- 

 thing. Parliament was in a grave difficulty. It 

 made some holes in the fence for the •"victim'' to 

 walk through, but he made it evident that he would 

 go openly through the gate or stay inside. Never 

 was any Parliament in such a pickle. Never has 

 any State Parliament provided such a humiliating 

 spectacle. Sir Samuel Gillott looked miserable, and, 

 if looks went for anything, might have been the 

 man at the Bar. No word of defence did he speak. 

 One would have expected that at this juncture, at 

 anv rate, he would attempt to justify himself. Each 

 section of the House girded and snarled at the other 

 section for bringing the accused to the Bar. The 

 " dignitv of Parliament " was a term, the suggestion 



