San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-05-26
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1886.
GOT HIS HANDS FULL.

The morning reports are not favorable
to the success of GladstOne's home rule
measures this session of parliament.
There is reason to conclude that a m0di-
tication OF the bill will be made TO save
1t from defeat on the second reading
and that it will then go over until the
winter session. A meeting of the cab
met held yesterday has resulted in
call for general meeting of the liberal
members tomorrow, in which the pro-
posed changes will be discussed and an
immediate defeat Of the bill prevented If
possible. Mr.. Morley was the only MEM
Der Of the cabinet who strenuously OPP
posed any changes in the bill and wished
to maintain the fight wholly on the pres
ent line Of policy.
There is.liGtle room to doubt that Mr..
Gladstone's present attitude is largely
owing to the personal solicitations of
his royal mistress, who has made up her
mind not to allow q dissolution of the
parliament until fall, If it can by any
individual preferences are well known.
He, with Mr.. Morley and the national
Irish party, would prefer the fight to be
made now, and then. in case of defeat,
take an appeal to the country, as he is
quite confident Of shelving most of the
recalcitrant liberals in the election
which would follow. This move would
also give him more time to devote to the
management of the canvass and leave
him in better physical condition for the
winter session. AS it now is the ques-
ton remains undecided one way or an
other. 1t may be that some of the lib
erals who would not vote for the bill on
its final passage, will vote to pass the
second reading, in Difference to the gen.
eral wish TO avoid a dissolution OF the
body until fall. Thus the real strength
of the measure remains INFESTED, and
the election would have the burden of
this uncertainty to bear in addition to
the natural opposition which the pro-
posed Irish relief and pacification meas
ures are sure to arouse in the English
breast.
The strain Of all this uncertainty, this
opposition of his own followers, this
jealousy on the part Of his colleagues,
who should be his supporters and are
merely his rivals, does not seem serious
ly to affect the health or the spirits of
Mr.. Gladstone. He stands up nobly
under the immense pressure of this
memorable session, one Of the most
noted, in many particulars, that has
ever agitated Great Britain and evoked
an interest as wide as civilization.
The work begun this session will be
continued next. In a very important
sense tho great English premier has al
ready succeeded. He has made 1t neces-
ssry for the British parliament to recog-
nize the justice of Ireland's demands
and meet them with some substantial
measures of legislation. He has made
1t necessary for his successor to take up
his work and prosecute it TO the salts
faction Of the sense Of justice he has
aroused in the national heart. He
has laid upon the British parliament.
the British crown and the English peo-
pie the responsibility of the abuses he
has uncovered, asd from that RESPONSE
bility they cannot absolve themselves
without practical restoration to Ire
land Of her former powers of self gov
eminent. But Mr.. Gladstone is by no
means out of the ring. In this coming
election, whether it follows dissolution
of parliament now or later on, the ma
tional Irish party will not become the
ally OF his tory enemies as at the last
election, and this fact alone is a very
heavy weight In the Gladstone sea lie.
There is every reason to hope that the
next session OF parliament will see
Gladstone in power, with such liberal
majority at his back as will fully assure
the success of his measures for Irish
autonomy.
The Times complains that the repub-
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