New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-16
THE IRISH QUESTION.
BY JUSTIN MCCARTHY. NJ. p.
III.
THE AIMS AND OBJECTS OF TIE yA1Toy,,
PARTY.

most part curlously inaccurate in their conectnra.
and their assumptions. Almost every day We ra.S
that the Irish Parliamentary party Is bre.kin,,.A
that it Is giving way under the force OF n,o,,Il
dissensions; and that the influence Of Mr.. Payn.la
on the wane. Not the slightest Importance 80.
attached to any such rumors. There is no d..
sion whatever in the Irish Parliamentary par,v.
there is no subject or occasion for dscord; and a.
influence of Mr. Parnell is probably create, ny
than it ever was before. Nor has there been ~
change in Mr. Parners policy or even in his taet,a'
Obstruction, IL is often said. has been abapdon.S
Mr. Parnell, told, is unable TO play any nor.
of that game, owing to the Introduction N a.
closure" principle and the other alterations IN an.
Parliamentary procedure Now thus il an odd All.
appreciation or misunderstanding Of tho actn.I
state of affairs The recent alterations in the FORM
of procedure would not be of the slightest avail ),
prevent wiful and resolute obstruction # An, on
desired thus to Obstruct. As IL 49, the Conservative.
party do manage TO obstruct whenever they like,
and they like to do pretty often. The main eaec,
of the closure is merely to give the Speaker Of IN,
HOuse of Commons power under certain condition.
to bring debate to a close when he S satisfied tina,
the subject really has been exhausted and that IA,
manifest of the House is in favor Of putin,
an end to it. But now suppose party Of forty men
really determined to obstruct the business Of ,hs
Ject number one is debated until it becomes clear
that the debate is prolonged merely for the purpose
of obstruction; and a debate must have been ken,
up for good long time before any Speaker would
feel warranted in coming TO such a conclusion
However, the presiding authority does come to such
a conclusion at last. and he stops the debate yeu
good; debate on question number one is done with,
but then there is question number two TO follow;
and the same course of action adopted by the 90.
structIves with regard TO question number two aud
question number three. and each other question 10
turn as it arises. Such a policy as this would be
sure means of stopping the whole movement Of any.
thing like practical legislation; and the new ruls
supply no way of checking or at all events Of 70,
pressing it.
Then again look at what could be done
with the private business. | told your readers my
last letter of the vast amount of what is called ph
vate business local OF parochial business
that is to say-Iailway bills, gas bills water
bills, dock bills and SO forth, for every
town in the three kingdoms-is Under.
taken by the House of Commons. Some davi
there are twenty such measures on the order-bOOk.
to be dealt with before the public business of thu
country comes ou Usually the private bills ara
pushed rapidly through. Their details have been
arranged in committee. and only tlse members
actually interested in them are likely 10 say any
tlllilg ABOUT them IN lHe lull iouHt Dul suppuhe
the Irish Nationalsts really wanted to obstruct,
what better opportunity could they have than that
which is constantly offered by IN. rivate business
There is q gas bill for Stafford. let us say Saorlh
a great town forming in fact "a part of Manchester
it has an immense Irish population. Why should
not the Irish members discover that the interests
lrishmen I'm Stafford are somehow affected 10y tha
bill Suppose each of the forty Irish member
spoke for ton minutes on the subject What pm
siding authority could Interfere with man who only
spoke for ten mnutesi But the forty speakers
would consume among them four hundred minutes,
or I'm round numbers six hours and this On The ~
sumption that ono spoke on the otnet side Of tho
question and that tho bill WIS left absolutely With
out defence. suppose there were only ak private
bills ON the ordcrbook and the Irish members only
discussed throo Of thom-what would become OF tho
public busaess of the evening thcni
10 what. may bo asked. Is all this tondng' To
thIs-to enable American readers 10 appreciate tho
true purpose and character Of what was called OBJ
structon. There never was any such thing rs OBJ
structon for the mere sake of preventing the lioue
of Commons from dong its work The object OF
the obstruction which did exist clear practical,
and from the Irish point of view patriotic IL was
necessary to force the House of Commons and the
country TO pay some attention % the lamentabs
condition of things in Ireland. What Mr. Parnell
said to the House IN action as well as in words Was
this Ii you will not attend to the crying needs Of
Ireland You shall do nothing; until you show rs
that you are willing to do something tor our coun-
try you shall do no work for your country" The
House of Commons had been for forty years trifing
with and tlnkering at the Irish land question, and
Parneu said: (" We must have end of this you
must go ut this business in a serious and resolute
spirit" BY the course of action which he initiated
Mr. Parueu accomplished two objects; be proved 10
the House of Commons that Ireland was at last de-
termned TO be heard, and he proved to the lnsh
people that there was at last party OF men 10
Parliament who resolved that Ireland should
be heard. Beginning with party of four or hye no
is now at the head of party of forty he Will soon
be at the head of party of seventy or eighty There
is not the slightest occasion now TO call attention 10
the case of Ireland by the rough process OF stopping
all movement of Parliamentary business We muS'
be listened To now. Our vote on critical DIVISION
NAV decide the fate of Administration Aftert he
next elections we shall in all human probaOli'y
hold the fate of any and every Ministry III 'n'
hollow Of our hands. Suppose we have only seventy
men--and no one expects that our number after tho
elections will be only seventy-seyenty votes eouh'
as one hundred and forty division; seventy
Withdrawn from the Ministry seventy added to tho
Orrosition or rice rvsa In plain words. the irish
Parliamentary party will be able to decide oeio'"
hand the fate of any measure or motion brought &c
fore the House of Commons which has the suppOl'
of one of the two great English parties ana " w
posed by the other ...natni,
This is the policy of Mr.. Parnel; this Is anu us
was his policy; to create thoroughly inuepeS Snu
Irish party in the House of Commons wDon :. q.
be strong enoughto hold the balance OF p o"e,r
hands He has even already accomplished N1~sI a.,s
his purpose. ! wish | could convey to your -
On adaouate idea of the anxiety the ALARM inc ca
c,tement which prevail on both sides OF the hOu's
CONCERNING the probable vote of the Irish parry
W hen some critical division Is coming on. "eA
beset each and every one of us. by Official :.