Under ordinary circumstances,
the clause would have been passed after a few speeches--especially and
definitely directed to the words of the clause; Mr. Chamberlain demanded
the right on this clause to discuss, not only the whole Bill with all
its other clauses, but the past and future of the whole Home Rule
struggle. He quoted passage after passage from speeches delivered by
Irish members years and years ago; in short, he entered upon a survey of
the whole controversy. There were countless interruptions from the Irish
Benches--not in the least because the Irish members cared for Joe's
attacks, but because such a roundabout discussion was altogether a
revolutionary departure from all previous precedents; and would have
been held distinctly out of order by any of the predecessors of Mr.
Mellor in the chair. That good-natured and easy-going official, however,
gave Mr. Chamberlain his head; and so, for an hour, he poured forth a
stream of clever, biting, but mean and irrelevant vituperation.
[Sidenote: The G.O.M.'s greatest speech.]
It was well that it should have been so; for to this speech the House of
Commons owes one of the most remarkable and historic scenes in its long
history.
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