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Show "DULL" PARLIAMENT IS m THRILLS England's House of Commons Forced to Forget Traditions of Impassivity. SCANDAL IN THE AIR Some Whose Names Bear Titles Fear to Look at Morning Papers. v By PHUiIxTP EVERETT. Special Cable to The Tribune. LONDON, Aug. 80. There havo often beon times when proceedings in the house of commons havo been almost unbearably unbear-ably dull and respectable, but no one can say of the acaslon which ended recently that It has been lacking In sensations, or oven in scandals, as far as we ever have scandals In this country. In this respect, aa In many others, wo arc gnuhially losing los-ing our old-fashioned Insularity and scenes hava taken place at Westmlnstor during the last few months which have been almost as lively as any of the Hungarian Hun-garian or French parliaments. At tho very end of the session before we had quite forgotten the Marconi muddle mud-dle a now scandal threatened to crop up and was only avoided by tho llrm attitude atti-tude of Mr. MacKenna- I refer to the so-called Piccadilly Hat case, out of which sensation-loving Tory papors tried to make political capital. Insinuating that the Immoral flat In question was under government protection, just as housos of questionable repute arc said to be under police protection In New York. Denial Is Positive. Mr. MacKenna's open answer, declaring that no member of either the government or tho house of commons was Implicated In the affair, put an end to tho attempts of tho sensational press to create another political scandal, but rumors have now begun to circulate that high and noble personngos wt-ro Involved, to whom tho arrested woman had acted as procuress, and Immediately Im-mediately a labor member, Kelr Ilardle, Jumped up and asked tho minister if ho was willing to declare that no names of noblo lords had been found among the evidonco, a question which tho minister skillfully avoided answering, leaving, probably much against his Intention, tho houso of lords tinder a cloud of suspicion. That the question will come up again later Is beyond any doubt, especially as It In now said that the woman, who was convicted of running an Illegal resort and -who was supposed to be serving her sentence, Is walking about freely. In the meantime wo are assured that a score of people of our hlghost arlstooracy, and among theso even a duke, are living In a state of terror and hardly dare look at their morning papors lest they discover that their crimes have been found out. Suffragettes Change View. The suffragettes, who a short time ago looked upon the members of the Labor party as their faithful allies and champions, cham-pions, no longer conceal their utter contempt con-tempt of the parliamentary representatives representa-tives of tho sons of toll, who were recently recent-ly compelled to show their tmo oolors and reveal how little their sympathy -wa3 really worth. It happened during fthe de-bate of a paragraph par-agraph In the Insurance law which grantB a maternity benefit of thirty shillings to poor mothers to help moot tlve expenses of childbirth. It having been Bhown that In many caaes this monoy hod been handed hand-ed over to the fathor. who had promptly Invested It In alcoholic refreshments, It was suggested that in the future the maternity ma-ternity benefit was to be handed ovor to the mothers direct. The suggestion caused a panlo among the members of the Labor party, who with one honorable exception, all declared against It and declared that If tho motion wao carried out It would ruin the harmony har-mony of thousands of homes. Nevertheless Never-theless tho motion went through by the votos of men who are strong opponents of the woman's suffrage movement and the Labor members and Mrs. Pankhurst's followors are no longer on speaking termaL Investment 'Tanacea." There neoms to be a widespread opinion opin-ion among conservatives that ull that Is needed to deliver the country from the present radical government Is money invented in-vented In the proper places. I have Just recolved a pamphlet from the conservative headquarters at Westminster West-minster which Informs me that if I want to savo the country from the awful fate of home rulo, socialism and radical land robbery, all I have to do Is to send them a check for a guinea, while five guineas will secure me a place on tho roll of honor and ton guineas will make me a patron whose name will be published next to that of belted earls and nob'le dukes. Pointed, if Illogical Tho manlfoato, which Is hoaded "A Great Opportunity," reads: "lEvery patriot who wishes to uphold the anolent constitution of these realms, who wishes to prevent the loyal Inhabitants Inhabi-tants of Ulster being handod over to tho scanty mercies of the disloyal and tyrannical tyran-nical faction of those who, In tho lierco Ironv of Rudyard Kipling, 'are only traitors to tho king and rebels to tho crown'; who wlshos to savo tho omplre from the corrupt domination of tho rudi-cal-ooclallot-fenian coalition which has misgoverned her affairs too long, and who wlshcB to fight against and to destroy the Impudent land robber' proposals that are now being put forward by Lloyd Goorge, Sir Rufus Isaac, and Mr, Ure. Is Invited to co-operate in this great patriotic defense movomont, and to strike a crushing blow, whilst there la yot time, on behalf of the country we hold so dear." |
