"And in resisting it I am convinced that I shall be heartily supported by my Parliament and my people.'

that was, the Legislative Union between | would be from those who sat on those Ireland and Great Britain(the Liberal) Benches; but those sitting there now were not the Liberal Partythey were the Irish Members who were attached to the Liberal Party. In conclusion, he would appeal to hon. Members and right hon. Members to come forward and tell them what they thought the policy of the country ought to be. It was the function of the Leaders to lead them; and he said without any hesitation that if any Leader of the Liberal Party came forward, and appealed to them-and not only them, but the whole country to maintain the Legislative Union of the three countries-he cared little whether it was the noble Lord or the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Birmingham-he felt sure that whichever of these Gentlemen it might be who spoke for the country and desired to maintain the Union, he would rally at his back those who would make him the principal Leader of the Liberal Party.

He had no hesitation in saying that
with that paragraph he thoroughly
and entirely agreed, and he wished
to congratulate Her Majesty's Ad-
visers that that appeal had been made
to Parliament, which, at all events,
had not been made in vain. They had
heard some explanations asked for as
to why no Amendment was moved.
His hon. Friend the Member for North-
ampton had said the Speech bound no
one; but he thought that it did, be-
cause if they differed with that they
were certainly bound to come forward
and say so.
They knew what the real
reason was; it was that not a single
Member below the Gangway dared
move such an Amendment. For his
part, he was prepared to vote for that
paragraph in the Speech, and he be-
lieved the greater part of the Liberal
Party would support it. "No, no!"]
If the hon. Member who said "No"
believed that, let him put it to the test.
This question was important, and the
views of the Liberal Party should be de-
clared before the debate came to a close.
The whole country was waiting for it.
There was no closer attendant upon the
House of Commons than the right hon.
Gentleman the Member for Mid Lothian,
but he was not the only right hon. Gen-
tleman; and he wanted to hear-and he
knew that the majority of the Liberal
Party wanted to hear-what other right
hon. Gentlemen had to contribute to the
debate. Owing to the hesitation which
seemed to have come over so many, they
were in some serious danger of drifting
to he knew not what. This was not the
time to discuss in detail the merits of the
Home Rule Question; but what they had
to do, as reasonable men, was to bear in
their minds what it was that Home Rule
really meant. The Government had de-
scribed it as severance of Legislative
Union; but it would not hold good for a
moment. They heard a good deal about
good policy and management, and how
to manage their own affairs; and he could
only say he honestly believed that the
country was in want of outspoken,
simple honesty, and he hoped as this
debate went on there would be no lack
of that quality. He did not think there
Mr. A. R. D. Elliot

MR. GREGORY said, he hoped that some expression of opinion would be got from right hon. Gentlemen on the Front Opposition Bench in regard to this important subject. As for himself, he would give an independent support to any Government that would maintain the integrity of the Empire.

MR. THOROLD ROGERS observed, that an hon. Gentleman had that evening compared their fellow-countrymen in Ireland to highwaymen and wolves. That did not seem to him to be a particularly conciliatory spirit in which to approach the great question between the two peoples. His hon. Friend the Member for Roxburghshire (Mr. A. Elliot), with an audacity which he hardly expected from a Scotch Member, had forgotten the very fundamental rule which had always governed Constitutional opposition in that House, and which was laid down by so great a Conservative as the late Sir Robert Peel-namely, that it was not their business to announce a policy until they were called on. It was not just, fair, or generous, to the Front Opposition Bench to demand of them that they should explain before their imitators and their enemies what policy they intended to adopt with regard to Ireland. The House had been told that there was a great deal of crime prevailing in Ireland. That had been denied by Irish Members; and he frankly told the House that he would as soon believe

Question put, and agreed to.

Debate further adjourned till Monday next.

MOTIONS.

0

LAND LAW (IRELAND) ACT (1881) AMEND

MENT BILL.

On Motion of Mr. Connolly, Bill to amend "The Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881," ordered to be brought in by Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. and Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIEN. PARNELL, Mr. TIMOTHY HEALY, Mr. SEXTON,

Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 1.]

COUNTY GOVERNMENT (IRELAND) BILL. On Motion of Mr. John O'Connor, Bill to provide for the better government of Counties in Ireland, ordered to be brought in by Mr.

them as he would believe the Dublin | this Motion with the view of proceeding Correspondent of The Times. Nothing with his Amendment at the next meethad done more harm to the good rela- ing of the House. With that undertions between the English and Irish standing, and being aware that there peoples than the incessant trumpetings are not a few hon. Members who desire of those Solomons of the day-the daily to introduce Bills of which they have papers. He regretted that Her Ma- given Notice without being compelled to jesty's Speech held the threat of coercion sit up till a late hour, I willingly yield over the Irish people. He believed that the Motion. no greater political blunder could be committed by any Government than the establishment of a special Criminal Law, and he repented very much that he had ever supported coercion. Nothing could be baser than the temporary alliance of the Tory and Irish patriot. That alliance had borne its fruits, and one result of it, at any rate, was to convert him for the future against supporting, under any circumstances whatever, a single scintilla of special criminal legislation for Ireland. That legislation had been tried over 85 years, and it had failed. If they adopted it again over a similar period they would only embitter still more the Irish people, who ought to be our natural allies and our friends. The present state of things brought dishonour upon this country. The hon. Member for Roxburghshire had told them about the sentiments of the people of England. Had he ever reflected that there were 2,000,000 Irishmen in England, and had he ever found the slightest bitterness, the slightest hostility, on the part of the English working men towards their Irish fellow-countrymen ? He had not, except on the part of some foolish persons. Did they believe that if Scotland was governed by Englishmen on the lines on which they had governed Ireland they would not have rebelled? If he, an Englishman, had been governed in the same way as the Irish had been, he confessed that he should have been a rebel, and, perhaps, a village ruffian. Those who were distinctly responsible should endeavour to settle this great problem, and not claim from Her Majesty's Opposition anything more than the high duties and the great privilege of criticizing that which Her Majesty's Ministers might submit.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Debate be now adjourned." -(Mr. Hunter.)

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH): I understand that the hon. Member makes

JOHN O'CONNOR, Mr. TIMOTHY HEALY, Mr.
SEXTON, Mr. DILLON, Mr. REYNOLDS, and Mr.
SMALL.

Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 2.]

POLICE FORCES ENFRANCHISEMENT BILL.

On Motion of Sir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson, Bill for the complete enfranchisement of the Police Forces of the United Kingdom, ordered to be brought in by Sir HENRY SELWIN-IBBETLord CLAUD HAMILTON, Mr. RADCLIFFE CooKE, Mr. COWEN, and Sir GEORGE RUSSELL. Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 3.]

SON,

CHURCH PATRONAGE BILL.

On Motion of Mr. Rylands, Bill to amend Patronage, ordered to be brought in by Mr. the Law relating to the Sale of Church RYLANDS, Mr. LEATHAM, Mr. HENRY FOWLER, and Mr. BRINTON.

Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 4.]

POOR LAW GUARDIANS (IRELAND) bill.

On Motion of Mr. Edward Harrington, Bill to amend the Law relating to the election and in Ireland, crdered to be brought in by Mr. EDWARD HARRINGTON, Mr. EDMOND DWYER GRAY, Mr. SEXTON, Mr. TIMOTHY HEALY, and Mr. JORDAN.

constitution of Boards of Poor Law Guardians

Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 5.]

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND BILL.
Considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.)

Resolved, That the Chairman be directed to move the House, That leave be given to bring

On Motion of Mr. William O'Brien, Bill to amend the Law relating to National School Teachers in Ireland, ordered to be brought in by Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIEN, Mr. JUSTIN HUNTLY M CARTHY, Mr. SEXTON, Mr. EDMOND DWYER GRAY, and Mr. CONWAY.

MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES (DUBLIN) BILL. On Motion of Mr. Chance, Bill to provide for the Extension of the Municipal Boundaries of Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 12.] Dublin, ordered to be brought in by Mr

utility, ordered to be brought in by Mr. LICENSING LAWS (AMENDMENT) (LOCAL M'LAREN, Mr. JOSEPH BOLTON, Mr. HOULDSWORTH, and Mr. JESSE COLLINGS.