[Sidenote: A squabble.]
And now comes the squalid sequel to all this glorious and splendid
fight--the disorderly--the chaotic--the anarchic scene of the 11th of
July. The whole thing began simply enough. Mr. Brodrick, the son of an
Irish landlord--a very light, though very serious young man--managed in
the course of his speech to speak of the people from whom he springs as
"impecunious and garrulous." At first nobody took any notice of what was
probably a mere mauvaise plaisanterie; and the incident would have
passed altogether had not Mr. Brodrick immediately afterwards made a
more direct appeal to the Irish Members. This elicited from Mr. Sexton
the retort that he need not make any appeal to the Irish Benches after
the "grossly rude" allusion he had made to the Irish people. On this
there was a mild hubbub on the Tory Benches. The House was very thin and
very listless, and really not in the mood to take anything very
tragically. But Mr. Sexton resolutely refused to withdraw unless Mr.
Brodrick gave the example. Mr. Mellor then--acting somewhat
precipitately--ruled that Mr. Sexton was out of order, and should
withdraw his words.
[Sidenote: Mr.
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