There came, then, a series of incidents which threw the House into
convulsions of rancorous scorn and farcical laughter. Earlier in the
evening there had been a speech by Mr. Kenyon. Words fail to describe
the kind of speech Mr. Kenyon delivers. Sometimes one is doubtful as to
the sex of the speaker, for he moans out his lamentations over "the dear
old Church of England" exactly as one would imagine a sweet old lady
with a gingham umbrella and a widow's cap to intone it. Meantime, the
rest of the House is convulsed with laughter, so that there is the
curious contrast of one man--Punch-like in complexion and face--reciting
a dirge while the rest of the House are holding their universal sides
with laughter. The anger came when Sir Henry James and Mr. T.W. Russell
were seen to be fluctuating between the Liberal and the Tory lobby. Joe
wisely found a convenient engagement at Birmingham. At last Toryism
prevailed, and amid a tempest of ironical cheers, the Liberal renegades
went into the Tory lobby.

Then the Tories were beaten by a majority of 56, after which they tried
a little obstruction. But it was promptly sat upon; the closure was
moved; only the solitary and plaintive voice of Mr. Kenyon rose in
protest against it, and so, amid shouts of laughter and triumph, the
doom of the Welsh Establishment was pronounced.




CHAPTER IV.

THE PERSONAL ELEMENT.