Sketches in the House: The Story of a Memorable Session (1893)O'Connor, T. P. (Thomas Power)
History
Sketches in the House: The Story of a Memorable Session (1893)
O'Connor, T. P. (Thomas Power)
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1837-1901; Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons; Home rule -- Ireland
And I can call a very potent and trustworthy witness as to this being
the proper view of the incident; for I understand that, almost
immediately after the scene, a good-natured Liberal said to Mr.
Chamberlain that he must confess that the use of the word "Herod" was
calculated to produce the retort of "Judas"; and the report is that Mr.
Chamberlain replied, "I used it on purpose," or "That was my intention,"
or some such phrase as that, which implied that he was neither surprised
nor annoyed by the retort, but had rather invited it. I lost sight of
Joe for a good time after this--there were other things which had to be
looked after; but I am told by those who were able to watch him closely,
that his face wore all through the scene which followed a look of almost
beatific happiness--the happiness of an artist who saw slowly unfolding
the drama to which he had given the impetus, and which he had fashioned
out in his own reveries.
[Sidenote: Opening of the row.]
At all events, it was not either Mr. Chamberlain's use of the word
"Herod," nor my use of the word "Judas," which really brought about the
subsequent row--except in the most indirect and remote way. Mr. Vicary
Gibbs seemed possessed by the idea that he should call the attention of
the Chairman to the use of the word "Judas"; and he singled me
out--although, of course, he knew that I was only one of many who had
used the word. I don't complain of this--I merely state a fact--a fact
which, laughingly, was admitted later in the evening; for here I may say
in passing that such is the extraordinary volatility and such the real
good-nature of the House of Commons, this terrible evening ended up in
the exchange of hearty and friendly jokes between some of the fiercest
combatants in the whole business. I had not the least idea of what Mr.
Gibbs was saying--what his complaint really was I knew for the first
time after the whole row was over; indeed, nobody could hear anything in
the din that was almost deafening. Mr. Mellor made several attempts to
catch Mr. Gibbs's statement; and only when, after straining his ears to
the utmost, he failed to catch one single word, did Mr. Mellor resolve
to take no notice of what Mr. Gibbs was trying to say. This seemed to
drive Mr. Gibbs almost beside himself--he shouted angrily and wildly,
at the top of his voice, with fierce and almost frenzied gesture; and,
after a while, he rushed down with every appearance of passion to the
Front Opposition Bench to renew his attempts to make his point of order.
All this time his passion had been rising higher and higher--until, in
the end, he was almost a painful sight to witness. His own friends were
foremost in trying to bring him back to composure; and Lord Randolph
Churchill expressed, with the fine, full-flavoured plainness of ancient
speech, his opinion of the conduct of his friends.
[Sidenote: Keeping the seats.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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