The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-24 00:00:00

THE FRANCHISE BILL.

The consideration of the Representation of the
People Bill was resumed in committee, the discussion
on Mr. Brodrick's amendment to omit Ireland from the
operation of the measure being continued by Lord H.
Churchill, who expressed his regret that after the pre-
vious decision of the House on this point the question
should again have been raised. Having balanced all the
arguments for and against the inclusion of Ireland, be
arrived at the conclusion that the House might safely
agree with the Government in the wise and statesman-
like position which it had taken up. There had been
a remarkable improvement in the condition of Ireland
during the past two years; the land agitation had
died out, and crime had been reduced to a normal
level. He failed to see that the Protestant minority
would be placed in a worse position by this bill than
they now occupied. He appealed therefore to the
Opposition not to identify themselves as a party with
an amendment which would cast a stigma upon Ireland
and place the Tory party in pronounced hostility to the
legitimate desires of the overwhelming majority of the
Irish people, and urged Mr. Brodrick not to press the
amendment to a division in which those who sought to
base the strength of the Tory party, not on the tradi-
tions of an antiquated past, but on the spontaneous
affection of the people, would be compelled either to
leave the House, or vote against it.
Lord C. J. Hamilton retorted that if the noble lord's
speech was a specimen of the democratic Toryism of
the future he must decline to follow such leadership,
which involved the sacrifice of principle in order to
catch a few stray votes at the next general election.
He contended that the vast majority of those who
would be enfranchised in Ireland by the bill were in-
capable, ignorant, and not likely to add strength to the
State; and predicted that if the measure were carried
the days of Home Rule, with their attendant pickings
and jobbery, were not far distant. Reminding the
House how woefully it had been misled in regard to
Ireland by the present Prime Minister, the noble lord
warned it against once more following the promptings
of an infatuated man who had led the country into d's-
grace abroad and anarchy at home, and thus assist him
to complete the destruction of the Union.
Lord E.. Cavendish regretted that the speeches of the
supporters of the amendment savoured so much of the
old tone of ascendency, and though he admitted there
was some apprehension from the strengthening of Mr.
Parnell's party, the only solution of the difficulty was
to endeavour to convince the Irish people that all
parties in this country desired to treat them with con-
fidence and equity.
Mr. S. Hill, speaking from the Conservative Benches,
avowed his disinclination to omit Ireland from the
and Mr. Labouchere on the same side made some sar-
castic comments on the new discord in the Conservative
camp as revealed by Lord R. Churchill's speech, and
recommended his friends to meet a conspiracy of
1994acity by cleterinina,tion to remain bilCilta,
' LIQ 4,441 t) 6,1ffl VON L.4.:110;)