vil self, Mr. Chamberlain
got up to base an attack on Mr. Mellor for this judgment. There was a
delighted howl from the young Tory bloods who had been obstructing so
shamelessly throughout the evening. Mr. Chamberlain's example was
followed by Mr. Balfour, by Sir John Gorst--in short, the whole Tory and
Unionist pack were in full cry after the Chairman. The inner meaning of
all this, was the desire to discredit the new Chairman, and intimidate
him, lest he should show a bold front against the shameless obstruction
on which the Tories had resolved. Mr. Sexton put this point neatly. In
view, he said, of the combined attempt and evident combination to
intimidate and embarrass the Chair--but he could go no further: for at
once there was a fierce hurricane of howls, "Withdraw! Withdraw!" and
"Shame! Shame!" from the Tories and renegades, which drowned every
voice. Tory after Tory got up; shouts deafening, passionate, ferocious,
made everything inaudible; Mr. Chamberlain, paler even than usual,
shouted with full mouth across the floor; altogether, the scene was one
of almost insane excitement. Mr. Mellor--gentle, considerate,
conciliatory--reasoned, explained, expostulated. What he should have
done, was to have named half-a-dozen Tories, and showed the party of
bullies that their day was past.

CHAPTER V.

OBSTRUCTION AND ITS AGENTS.

[Sidenote: The younger Tories.]

Obstruction is a thing rather of temperament than intellect. The
occurrences of the early weeks of the Session of 1893 fully confirm this
view. The Tory party and the Unionists vowed in their organs, and proved
by their conduct in the House, that they determined to try and prevent,
by obstruction, the second reading of the Home Rule Bill being taken
before Easter. With this design they came down to the House every
evening with a plan of attack. The consequences were somewhat serious to
some members of the House. I saw young gentlemen suddenly developing
activity whom I had beheld in the House for many years in succession
without ever suspecting in them either the power or the desire to take
any part in Parliamentary debate. The same gentlemen now rushed about
with a hurried, preoccupied, and, above all, a self-conscious air that
had its disgusting but also its very amusing side. For instance, Mr.
Bromley-Davenport, during the six years of Tory Government, never spoke,
and rarely even made his appearance in the House of Commons. His voice
was as stran