n.]

There had been one little scene fiercer almost than any of the others.
When Mr. Mellor proceeded to call Mr. Sexton to order, Mr. Milman, the
clerk at the table, handed to him, with some appearance of ostentation
and of eagerness, the rule which allowed him to compel Mr. Sexton's
withdrawal without an appeal to the House. This provoked some now
fiercely excited Irishmen to an outburst of blind rage. They shouted at
Mr. Milman fiercely, desperately--called upon him to leave the Chairman
alone, to take the chair himself; and Mr. Sexton made a bitter little
speech to the effect that it was Mr. Milman's malignant interference
which had produced his suspension. It was thought that on Wednesday this
matter would be again raised; and even as early as noon there was a big
array of members, expecting another outburst. But Mr. Balfour held his
peace. Mr. Sexton asked a formal question, and gave notice of a motion
of censure on the Chairman. Mr. Mellor took the chair amid a wild
outburst of Tory cheers; and we got back to the tranquil consideration
of clause nine, and to a delightful, good-humoured historical speech by
Mr. Swift McNeill on the representation of Trinity College, Dublin.

[Sidenote: Divisions.]

The old story came back to our minds on July 13th of the historic scene
at Tyburn when all the traitors were hanged in succession. When the
first head was held up there was an awful shudder; the shudder was less
vivid when the second head was held up; and when the executioner
accidentally dropped the third there was a loud and mocking shout of
"Butter-fingers." So it was in the House that night until the dinner
hour came; but as ten o'clock approached, the House filled and there was
a rise in the excitement. The scene, however, bore no comparison to the
frenzied excitement of the preceding Thursday--it was evident we were
going to have an anti-climax, and the whole arrangement of the
Opposition broke down in an important and essential point. On the
previous occasion Mr. Balfour, by preconcerted plan, was speaking at the
moment when the guillotine fell--with the idea, of course, of bringing
into greater relief the wickedness of the Government. Mr. Goschen was
marked out to perform the same task this Thursday, but who should get up
but Atherley Jones. The delighted Liberals cheered him to the echo. Mr.
Goschen had to sit down, and so the whole denouement collapsed, and the
curtain fell not on the lofty and eminent form