Again, on Thursday, Mr. Dillon, who moved the adjournment of
the House to raise a question as to the proclamation of a meeting near Ennis as unlawful, was extremely violent. Mr. Balfour maintained that the meeting was proclaimed not under any statute, but under the common law, as one likely to lead to infractions of the law, since it was to be held in the most dis- turbed county in Ireland (Clam), and that he had sworn informa- tion that if held, it was likely to lead to breaches of the peace. The Parnellites declared that the meeting was only intended to pass a vote of thanks to Mr. Gladstone, and to speak generally in favour of Home-rule, and that there was no power under the common law to forbid it; and Mr. P. Stanhope (M.P. for Wed- nesbury) almost outdid the Parnellites in the violence of his language. He was stopped by the Speaker, and told that he would be named to the House if he repeated the language he had used. Mr. Stanhope went very close indeed to repeating it, but was not named to the House. Eventually Mr. Dillon's motion for adjournment was negatived by 97 to 61 (majority, 36), after a couple of hours had been wasted.
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