(Extracted from the Diary of Toby, M.P.)
House of Commons, Monday, March 9.—When on conclusion of Questions the Prime Minister rose to move Second Reading of Home Rule Bill, House presented appearance seen only once or twice in lifetime of a Parliament. Chamber crowded from floor to topmost bench of Strangers' Gallery. Members who could not find seats made for the side galleries, filling both rows two deep. Still later comers patiently stood at the Bar throughout the full hour occupied by the historic speech. A group more comfortably settled themselves on the steps of the Speaker's Chair. The principal nations of the world were represented in the Diplomatic Gallery by their ambassadors. As for the peers, they fought for places in limited space allotted to them with the energy of messenger-boys paid to secure places in the queue of first night of new play at popular theatre.
MIJNHEER KAARSON. (The New Orange Free Stater.)
[Mr. William O'Brien referred to Ulster as the new "Orange" Free State, which has just received official recognition.]
Entering while Questions were in progress Premier was received with rousing cheer. Renewed with fuller force when he stood at the Table to discharge his momentous task. That the enthusiasm was largely testimony to personal popularity and esteem appeared from what followed. Weighed down with gravity of responsibility, as he unfolded his plan he found lacking the inspiration of continuous outbursts of cheering that usually punctuate important speeches by Party leaders.
Radicals and Nationalists were prepared to accept his concessions to Ulster feeling; but they did not like them. Redmond's declaration that the Premier "has gone to the very extremest limits of concession" drew from Ministerialists a more strident cheer than any accorded to their Leader as he expounded his plan.
Consciousness of this significant luke-warmness reacted upon Premier. He spoke with unusual slowness, further developing tendency of recent growth to drop his voice at end of sentence.
Bonner Law studiously quiet in manner, moderate in speech. Nevertheless, perhaps therefore, made it clear that Premier's overtures, unloved by his followers, will not be welcomed by Opposition. Carson, who had enthusiastic reception from Unionists, flashed forth epigram that put Ulster's view in a phrase.
"We don't want sentence of death," he said, "with a stay of execution for six years."
Circumstances provided Tim Healy's opportunity. Seized it with both hands. On behalf of Liberal Party, Premier proposed the vivisection of Ireland. John Redmond consented. Plan submitted was that four counties of Ulster might, if they pleased, be excluded from operation of Home Rule Act for period of six years.
"Would any sane Britisher," Tim asked, "embark upon civil war for the difference between six years and 666 years?" As he mentioned the Number of the Beast Tim turned to regard the Irish Leader perched in corner seat at top of Gangway. "Why should not the hon. gentleman give up that, as he has given up everything else? The remains of his principles ornament every step of the Gangway."
Business done.—Second Reading of Home Rule Bill moved. Debate adjourned for indefinite period.
Tuesday.—Prospect of Chancellor of Exchequer brought up at Bar by Randles and Cassel attracted big House in spite of trial opening in mid-dinner-hour. As the quarters of an hour sped benches continued to fill up till, when Lloyd George rose to offer his defence (which speedily merged into form of attack), there were fully live hundred present.
Prisoner indicted on grounds of repeated inaccuracy, particularly on account of ineradicable tendency to speak disrespectfully of dukes. Nothing could be nicer than manner of prosecuting counsel. They were there to discharge a public duty as champions of the truth, vindicators of desirable habit of abstention from exaggeration.
"I am," said Randles, "not here to be personally disagreeable to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whom I have always found genial and courteous."
As for the junior counsel, he was affected almost to tears in prospect of task jointly committed to him.
"I do not wish," he said in his opening sentence, "to make anything I say more offensive or unpleasant than—than the necessities of the case warrant."
Ribald Radicals laughed loudly at this way of putting it. With the more sober-minded its ingenuousness had favourable effect, maintained throughout admirable speech.
No one enjoyed the affair more than prisoner at the bar. Like his great prototype, Lloyd George is never so happy as when, with back against wall, he turns to face an attacking host.
"Reminds me of days that are no more," said the Member for Sark, looking on animated scene from modest quarters on a back bench. "Feel thirty years younger. Am transported as by a magical Eastern carpet to times when Don José rushed about the country, fluttering his Unauthorised Programme, bearding barons in their dens, lashing out at landlords, and unceremoniously digging dukes in the ribs, what time a pack of scandalised Tories barked furiously at his heels. Lloyd George is an able man, courageous to boot, endowed with gift of turning out sentences that dwell in the memory, delighting some hearers, rankling in hearts of others. After all, he is but a replica, excellently done I admit, of the greatest work of art in the way of Parliamentary and political debate known to this generation."
The only bird that, in Mr. Tim Healy's view, requires the sympathies (if not contempt) of the Plumage Bill.
Even while Sark murmured his confidences to his neighbour they were pointed by dramatic turn in lively speech. Among charges of inaccuracy specially cited was Lloyd George's description of the Highland clearances, whereby, he asserted, "thousands of people were driven from their holdings by the exercise of the arbitrary power of the landlord." "I will give you an authority for that," he said, and proceeded to read a passage of burning eloquence, in which multitudes of hardworking, God-fearing people were depicted as driven from the land that had belonged to their ancestors, their cottages unroofed, themselves turned out homeless and forlorn.
"Who said that?" scornfully inquired an incautious Member seated opposite.
Quick came the reply. "The Right Honourable Member for West Birmingham," the Chancellor answered in blandest tones.
Followed up this neatly inserted thrust by quoting from Tory newspapers, platform and Parliamentary speeches what was said of Don José in those his unregenerate days. Some of them curiously identical with those in use just now for edification and reproof of another public man.
Business done.—Chancellor of Exchequer indicted for habitual inaccuracy, gross and unfounded personal attacks on individuals. Vote of censure negatived by 304 votes against 240.
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER as seen by his opponents and by his admirers.
Thursday.—Major John Augustus Hope, late of the King's Royal Rifle Corps, nearly had his breath taken away at Question time. Close student of methods of Worthington Evans, Mrs. Gummidge of Parliamentary life, not yet recovered from depression as he sits below Gangway "thinking of the old 'un" (Masterman). The Major has of late displayed much industry in devising abstruse conundrums designed to bring to light dark places in working of Insurance Act. In Masterman's enforced and regretted absence, duty of replying to this class of Question on behalf of Minister undertaken by Wedgwood Benn, whose sprightly though always courteous replies greatly amuse both sides.
To-day the Major fired off, as it wore from a mitrailleuse, volley of minute questions involving prolonged research on part of Minister to whom they were addressed. Before the smoke had quite cleared away Benn rose, remarked, "I assure the honourable and gallant gentleman he is totally incorrect," and resumed his seat.
The Major gasped. After devotion of precious time to looking up material for his conundrums, after skill and labour bestowed in shaping them, was this the result? Every hair on his head bristled with indignation. His voice choked with anger. His eye, accustomed to survey other battlefields, gleamed on the laughing faces that confronted him. Unseemly merriment increased as he attempted to put Supplementary Questions, which got unaccountably mixed up between Section 72 of the National Insurance Act, 1911, and the provision of Insurance Regulations (No. 2) (Scotland).
If the Major survives shock more will be heard of this.
Business done.—In Committee on Army Estimates.