The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-04
The Irish Question.

The Irish Question.
The gallant Irish brigade in the House of
Commons made demonstration of their
forces at the very outset of the session. Mr..
Butt, the famous barrister and the leader of
the home rule party, moved an amendment to
the address to the Queen expressive of the de-
sire of the Irish people for self-government.
The result was an interesting debate in a
middling sized House and the defeat of the
motion by a vote Of 314 to so. In other words,
both parties in the House-that led by Mr..
Gladstone as well as the party in power
united to deny the requests Of the home rulers.
The fifty represented, with perhaps one or
two exceptions, the Irish membership Of the
House Of Commons.
This result is not surprising. The assault
seems to have been hastily made, Mr.. Butt,
the mover of the resolution, declaring that his
party did not resolve to press the amendment
until the evening previous. To this Mr..
Gladstone aptly replied that in matter as
important as 'shome rule its friends should
have considered the subject maturely before
asking the opinion of the House Of Commons.
But the important point Of the debate was
made by Lord Robert Montagu when he ar
gued that Ireland was as much entitled to
self-government as the colonies. Another
member, the somewhat famous Major Nolan,
showed that for the first time since the Union
Irish counties had been able to send delegates
who really represented Ireland. But even
this debate illustrated the unfortunate spirit
of disunion now pervading Ireland, for one of
the most earnest opponents Of the motion of
Mr. Butt was q member from the Protestant
province of Ulster. Mr.. Gladstone took an
early and prominent part in the debate, and
seemed anxious to remind the Irish phalanx
by his prompt opposition that to it's members
he owed the beginning of his fall from power.
He commended that there was no Irish grievance
that could be remedied by home rule He
reminded Irish members that they could only
settle their grievances by attending in their
places and supporting measures Of amelora-
ton for the Irish people The O. Donohue also
assailed the motion as stealthy pretence to
divide the Irish people. The government
through the new Secretary for Ireland, tainted
the home rulers with not knowing exactly
what home rule meant, and said that if Irish
members would bring in bills to improve the
country the government would consider them.
He dwelt upon the evidences of dissension
among the Irish themselves, the pain
full and deplorable spirit to which
we have often alluded, and which has
rancorous life even here under the emblems of
the orange and the green. Ho commended that
the Irishmen of Ulster would oppose home rule
with arms, and that the Irish peerage were in
favor Of the Union. In fact, there was only
evil in the agitation, and Ireland could best
be served by her members avoiding home rule
and devoting themselves to ''the prosperity of
the country"
To all of these arguments the reply may be
made that Ulster no more represents Ireland
than New England the United States; that
it's inhabitants are descendants of aliens and
oppressors, and that the free will Of the
people in Ireland should decide its destinies
This is the foundation of the whole Irish
grievance, and we do not see that the govern
AAOAAe AAeso AAAheAS oiy ASoPcAoC W a" Aac OuAy
response that can be made is force. Ireland
is held with the iron hand, as Germany holds
Alsace and as Russia holds Poland. In this
generation Of blood and iron, when an English
statesman's highest ambition is to be o SUBJ
servient imitator of Bismarck, we cannot
expect much attention to any sentimental
issues of nationality and self-government.
Ireland will have justice when she can com,
mand it, and not till then. ~
MAKING BURGLARS TooLs.-It is dificult
! to decide which is the most remarkable-the
air Of innocence Of the feeling of pride in his
work which the man Stuener arrested and
locked up at Police Headquarters yesterday,
evinced in his conversations with the de-