The Annual Register 1914: A Review of Public Events at Home and Abroad for the Year 1914Anonymous
History
The Annual Register 1914: A Review of Public Events at Home and Abroad for the Year 1914
Anonymous
History, Modern; History, Modern -- Periodicals; World War, 1914-1918
Commons not to know how it would be amended? He himself believed that
the Prime Minister desired a peaceful settlement, but considered only
what would give him a majority. He had gone back at Leeds on his speech
at Ladybank (A.R., 1913, pp. 243, 219), and in his proposals on his
speech on the Address (pp. 39, 21). He would not let the House know
the proposed amendments because the Nationalists would not let him.
They meant to pass the Home Rule Bill, and force the Prime Minister to
use all the forces of the Crown to drive loyal men out of the Union.
The course adopted was an insult to the Commons. A discussion of the
third reading of the Home Rule Bill was an absurdity, and he could see
absolutely no use in taking part in it. Among subsequent speakers, Mr.
A. M. Scott (L., _Glasgow, Bridgeton_), Sir H. Dalziel (L., _Kirkcaldy
Burghs_), and Mr. Pringle (L., _Lanarkshire, N.W._) protested against
the withholding of the terms of the Amending Bill, and Mr. Amery (U.)
was sharply and repeatedly rebuked by the Speaker.
The motion for adjournment was rejected by 286 to 176, and Mr. J.
H. Campbell (U., _Dublin University_) came forward to oppose the
third reading of the Home Rule Bill. Before he had uttered a word
the Unionists started a concerted cry of "Adjourn, adjourn." After
it had continued for five minutes the Speaker rose, and asked the
Opposition leader whether this was with his consent and approval. This
unexpected and unprecedented question provoked an outburst of protest
from the Opposition, and Mr. Bonar Law, after the cheers that greeted
his rising had at length subsided, replied, speaking evidently under
great excitement, "I would not presume, Sir, to criticise what you
consider your duty. But I know mine, and that is not to answer any such
question." The Opposition cheered savagely and waved handkerchiefs and
papers, and the Speaker suspended the sitting in view of the grave
disorder. The Opposition cheered their leader wildly as he passed out;
some of them shouted taunts at the Ministerialists; one, carried away
by excitement, stood before the Prime Minister and shouted abuse at
him; the Liberals and Nationalists, meanwhile, laughed good-humouredly
and made no response to the Opposition taunts. When the Prime Minister
went out, however, they rose and cheered him enthusiastically.
The disturbance was thought to have been preconcerted, possibly in the
lobbies during the division on the motion for the adjournment, and to
have been suggested by Mr. Bonar Law's concluding words on that motion.
At any rate it was in conformity with advice long ago given by the
_Observer_ (A.R., 1912, p. 156).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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