The Life Of Charles Stewart Parnell - Ii

JRr. 44] FIRST MEETING OF IRISH MEMBERS 249
was received by his parliamentary colleagues as he entered the room, looking as calm and xmconcerned as usual. i The welcome accorded to the national leader was enthusiastic in the extreme. Loud cheers were given an he entered the room, and much hand-shaking and many assurances of continued allegiance preceded the business of the day. Mr. McCarthy proposed that Mr. Richard Power take the chair. The first business was then the re-election of Mr. Farnell as chairman of the party, which was proposed by Mr. Sexton, seconded by Colonel Nolan, and agreed to amid loxid applause. Mr. Parneli thanked the meeting for this further and fresh proof of their confidence in him, and stated that, in response to their unanimous desire, he would continue to discharge the duties of leader/
* How did Mr. Parnell look when he came to your meeting?1 an Irish member was asked by an .English Radical. * Well/ said the Irish member, * he looked an if we had committed adultery with his wife/
On Tuesday afternoon, then, tho Irish parliamentary party re-elected Mr* Parnoll as sessional chairman with every expression of regard and confidence. Tha moral offence was condoned. The Irish members, endorsing the views previously expressed at tho Loinster Hall meeting and by the American delegates, declared unanimously and enthusiastically that, come weal, come woo, they would stand by tho man who had again and again led them to victory,'affirming, in effect, that his public life should not bo cut short by his private transgressions an exposed in the proceedings of the Divorce Court.
* When I left tho committee-room/ says Mr. "Piarc Mahony, M.P., ' Sir William Harcourt came up to mt and said ; " You have done a nice thing. You have and of