_House of Commons, Monday, July 3._--The fat in the fire again. Who
put it there? "I," said JOEY C., "with my ready ladle; I swooped it
in." So he did, lighting up with sudden flame embers that seemed
quite dead. At end of speech on WOLMER'S Amendment, seeing JOHN DILLON
sitting opposite, asked him what about few remarks made at Castlerea,
in which he had threatened, when Irishmen came to their own on College
Green, they would have police, sheriffs, and bailiffs, under their
control, and would "remember" their enemies? DILLON, amid scene of
tumultuous excitement, admitted that phrase not in itself defensible,
but pleaded that words had been spoken amid great provocation. The
massacre at Mitchelstown had taken place just before; its memories
were hot within him, and, out of the indignation of his heart, his
tongue had spoken.
As DILLON urged this plea, T. W. RUSSELL made a hurried remark in
JOSEPH'S ear. J. smiled grimly; the Lord had delivered the enemy into
his hand. Some men would have maimed their chance, if not spoiled the
game, by jumping up with hot interruption, and hurriedly exposed the
blunder upon which DILLON had stumbled. JOSEPH never loses his head.
He lay low, sayin' nuffin', but regarding the unconscious victim
opposite with dangerously smiling face. When DILLON sat down, the
crowded House plainly moved by his effective speech, JOSEPH literally
leaped to his feet, and flung across the floor the most complete
and dramatic blow ever dealt at a man in House of Commons. It was
Mitchelstown, was it, that had rankled in DILLON'S breast when he
uttered the phrase he now regretted? Would the House believe that the
massacre at Mitchelstown took place on September 9, 1887, and this
speech at Castlerea was made on December 5, 1886?
"Remember Mitchelstown!" JOHN DILLON had remembered it nine months
and four days before it had taken place. Several moments the Unionists
cheered, JOSEPH standing with accusatory finger pointed at JOHN DILLON,
who sat silent with folded arms, the habitual pallor of his face changed
to a ghastlier white.
[Illustration: THE WEEK OF THE YEAR.]
"My dear JOHN," I said to him later, "how on earth could you make such
a terrible mistake? The only amelioration it has is that it was so
stupendous and obvious that it was plainly stumbled upon without
intent or purport to deceive."
"Thank you, TOBY," said JOHN DILLON. "I suppose that is clear enough
to the generous mind. But I know a blunder is sometimes worse than a
crime. The fact is, about the time I spoke at Castlerea, things were
so bad in Ireland, the police so little hesitating to shoot, that
I got mixed up in my dates, and remembered Mitchelstown when I was
thinking about something else."
_Business done._--Home-Rule Bill in Committee.
_Tuesday._--TRITTON descending amongst the minnows has brought up
CONYBEARE. Not much heard of late of that eminent legislator. Seems
he's been compensating enforced silence in House by "saying things"
of SPEAKER in letter to newspaper. More than hints SPEAKER, moved by
political motives, has acted unfairly in Chair. Perhaps TRITTON had
done better to leave him alone. Comparatively few were aware of the
little excursion into print. Now blazoned forth to all the world.
Since 'twas done 'twas well 'twas done admirably. SPEAKER moved to one
of those outbursts of passionate though restrained eloquence of
which, upon occasion, he shows himself capable. As Baron FERDY
remarks:--"Since G.P.R. JAMES was sent as Consul to Venice, the only
city in the world where the solitary horseman of his many novels could
not be 'observed,' nothing so quaint as condemning one of the few
parliamentary orators of the day to the silence of the Chair."
Mr. G. delivered brief but magnificent speech, instinct with the true
spirit of Parliamentarian. PRINCE ARTHUR said a few words; everybody
looked round for CURSE OF CAMBORNE but unwonted access of modesty had
seized him. Here was opportunity with crowded House waiting on his
words. And where was he? Not in his place; so episode closed.
Though CONYBEARE'S intention probably not kindly meant, SPEAKER
certainly under considerable obligation to him. Opportunity afforded
House of enthusiastically applauding the most capable, dignified,
upright SPEAKER that ever faced the fierce light that beats upon the
Chair of the House of Commons.
Came across HERBERT MAXWELL just now; haven't seen him since Saturday;
met at dinner to Art and Literature given at Mansion House by Lord
Mayor KNILL. "BAYARD finished his speech yet?" I asked.
"Not sure," said MAXWELL; "fancy not. When I was carried out, in state
approaching coma, I observed on table before him two or three other
volumes of manuscript, containing further passages of the prodigious
recitation."
BAYARD is the new American Minister, doncha; made his first public
appearance at the Mansion House on Saturday; felt he must rise to
occasion; and did.
"Yours is a mere speck of a country, TOBY," he said, before we went
in to dinner. "Your public speeches are, very properly, planned in
proportion. Now America, as you may have heard, is a vast Continent,
and I've got up a little thing to scale."
"Otherwise a very pleasant dinner," said MAXWELL. "I sat next to a
Citizen and Loriner. Don't know what a Loriner is, but fancy, from
look in my friend's eyes, it's something to do with fish. When turtle
soup appeared on table there was phosphorescent gleam in the worthy
Loriner's eyes. He prodded me genially in ribs with a fat elbow, and
said with ungent chuckle, 'Ah, I s'pose you writing fellows don't
often sit down to a dinner like _this_?'"
_Business done._--In Committee on Home-Rule Bill. Much cry and few
Amendments.
_Thursday._--At ten o'clock to-night guillotine descended;
simultaneously Opposition lost their head; for hour and half there
raged succession of angry scenes that beat a gorgeous record. Mr. G.
and PRINCE ARTHUR, coming and going from division lobbies, were made
objects of rival ovations. Liberals and the Irish leaped to their
feet, madly cheering when PREMIER dropped in. Few minutes earlier or
later came PRINCE ARTHUR; instantly Unionists on their feet wildly
cheering. Outside all London making holiday. Here hon. gentlemen
almost clutching at each other's throats across the beneficently wide
floor. Instead of wedding festivities and national holiday depleting
House it was fuller than ever. VILLIERS came down to give his vote
against Closure; Unionists rapturous round their Grand Old Man. The
other side had Mr. G. with his fourscore years and four. VILLIERS
of Wolverhampton topped him by seven years. Nearly carried him into
division lobby shoulder high; beat hasty retreat after doing this last
service to his country.
"Fact is, you know, TOBY," he said, "I'm not quite the young fellow
I used to be; can't stand the racket as was easy enough some sixty
or seventy years ago. If they'll kindly excuse me, I'll go and take a
walk with the crowd to see the illuminations in Piccadilly. That will
be delightfully quiet after this turmoil."
[Illustration: "THE ANGEL IN THE HOUSE."]
On Clause 6 SAGE OF QUEEN ANNE'S GATE, accompanied by half-a-dozen
unpurchaseable Radicals, voted in Opposition lobby; brought Government
majority down to 15; crowd, streaming by Palace Yard, clearly heard
terrific cheers that welcomed this falling off. Proposed to bring back
the SAGE and his merry men in triumph. Floral decoration being order
of day, why not let them enter rose-garlanded, led by PRINCE ARTHUR on
one side, and JOEY C. on the other? Guaranteed a noble reception from
grateful and gratified Opposition. But some difference of opinion
arose within little circle of Stalwarts, and proposal abandoned.
Drifted in one by one, amid stream of Opposition.
_Business done._--Clauses 5, 6, 7, and 8 added to Home-Rule Bill.
_Friday Night._--CONYBEARE went out a-shearing, and came home shorn.
Asked leave to make personal explanation; House naturally thought this
would assume form of apology for attack on SPEAKER, of which note was
taken on Tuesday. Permission accordingly given. Turned out nothing
further from CONYBEARE'S thoughts. First began by scolding unnamed
persons for not rising in his defence on Tuesday; then proceeded
to argue with Mr. G. and SPEAKER on point of order involved in his
earlier attack. Incidentally, as the SPEAKER, in indignant tones,
pointed out, he repeated the charges embodied in his letter. House
long listened, with amazing patience. But there are limits to
forbearance; at end of quarter of an hour the CURSE OF CAMBORNE had
reached these; his letter declared by unanimous vote to be a breach of
privilege; a lame apology wrung from his unwilling lips, under penalty
of a week's suspension. "Curses," said the Member for Sark, "come home
to roost, no exception being made in the case of CAMBORNE." _Business
done._--None.
* * * * *
MRS. R.'S LATEST OBSERVATION.--Our excellent friend was disappointed
with the Royal Bridal Procession. Finding the King and Queen of
DENMARK in the procession, she naturally looked out for _Hamlet_, and
does not, to this hour, see why he should have been left out of the
play.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Note:
This issue contains some dialect. (Specifically page 17, in 'Robert at
the Manshun House').
Page 13: 'A' corrected to 'At'. "At last, however, we managed to calm
the indignant ladies,..."