had
nothing to say beyond what he had said a hundred times already, even in
the course of the present Session; and his speech would have passed
unnoticed had it not been for a brisk but odious and ignoble little
storm which he and the Tories managed to raise between them. Mr. Russell
declared that he heard the phrase across the floor, "What the devil are
you saying?" and stopped as if the heavens and the earth must refuse to
go round on their axes because of this introduction into Parliament of
the negligences of private conversation. Mr. Gibbs--a very pestilent and
very empty member of the young army of silly obstructives--moved that
the words be taken down--an ancient formula not heard of for years till
the present Session, when everything is turned to account for the
purpose of occupying time and breaking down the House of Commons, and at
the same time accused Mr. Swift McNeill of having used the words. Mr.
McNeill indignantly denied the charge: then Mr. Macartney attributed
them to Mr. Sexton--another and equally indignant denial; and then much
uproar and contradictions and apologies--the lubberly and unmannerly
interventions of Lord Cranborne as usual conspicuous--and, finally, the
end of the storm in a teacup. Positively loathsome--the whole business
methods of the Tories to grasp at everything to rouse a storm or provoke
a scene; and altogether disheartening to those who don't wish to see the
House of Commons reduced to the drivel and turbulence and anarchy of a
French Convention. Finally, a little after six o'clock, the first clause
of the Bill had passed, with a majority of 42. The House of Commons had
decided that there shall be established in Ireland a Legislature of two
Chambers. Then in a graceful, well-delivered, and pleasant little
speech, Mr. Victor Cavendish opened the fight on the second clause. The
evening was devoted to the Anti-vaccinationists--answered triumphantly
in an admirable and unanswerable little speech by Sir Walter
Foster--with as many as seventy men voting against vaccination. I had no
idea previously that the proportion of lunatics in the Assembly was so
large.

CHAPTER XII.

RENEWAL OF THE FIGHT.

[Sidenote: A fresh start.]

Nothing of memorable importance occurred during the week before the
Whitsuntide holidays, but with Tuesday, May 30th, came the renewal of
the great battle over Home Rule. The Old Man was first to be observed.
He looked very fresh and sunny, but, at the