y he pleased, and to
detain him as long as he pleased, while the Act remained in force.(38) The
debate for leave to introduce the bill lasted several days, without any
sign of coming to an end. Here is the Speaker's account of his own
memorable act in forcing a close:--

_Monday, Jan. 31._--The House was boiling over with indignation at
the apparent triumph of obstruction, and Mr. _G_., yielding to the
pressure of his friends, committed himself unwisely, as I thought,
to a continuous sitting on this day in order to force the bill
through its first stage.

On Tuesday, after a sitting of twenty-four hours, I saw plainly
that this attempt to carry the bill by continuous sitting would
fail, the Parnell party being strong in numbers, discipline, and
organisation, and with great gifts of speech. I reflected on the
situation, and came to the conclusion that it was my duty to
extricate the House from the difficulty by closing the debate of
my own authority, and so asserting the undoubted will of the House
against a rebellious minority. I sent for Mr. G. on Tuesday (Feb.
1), about noon, and told him that I should be prepared to put the
question in spite of obstruction on the following conditions: 1.
That the debate should be carried on until the following morning,
my object in this delay being to mark distinctly to the outside
world the extreme gravity of the situation, and the necessity of
the step which I was about to take. 2. That he should reconsider
the regulation of business, either by giving more authority to the
House, or by conferring authority on the Speaker.

He agreed to these conditions, and summoned a meeting of the
cabinet, which assembled in my library at four P.M. on Tuesday
while the House was sitting, and I was in the chair. At that
meeting the resolution as to business assumed the shape in which
it finally appeared on the following Thursday, it having been
previously considered at former meetings of the cabinet. I
arranged with Playfair to take the chair on Tuesday night about
midnight, engaging to resume it on Wednesday morning at nine.
Accordingly at nine I took the chair, Biggar being in possession
of the House. I rose, and he resumed his seat. I proceeded with my
address as concerted with May, and when I had concluded I put the
question. The scene was most dramatic; but