The Opelousas courier., 1886-06-12
Defeat of the Home Rule Bill.
n. o. Times-Democrat.

As has been evident for several days,
Mr.. Gladstone's Irish home rule bill
has been beaten in Parliament by the
large majority of 30. In vain leading
members of the Liberal party sought to
heal the breach in its ranks and to
bring tie several factions together /;
none would yield. Mr.. Gladstone re-
fused to withdraw his bill, refused to
make the changes demanded by the
recalcitrant Wings and Radicals; Lord
Harrington stood firm in his opposi-
tion, and Mr. Chamberlain equally de-
clined to modify his views or to vote
for the second reading of the bill, and
then let it go over to the fall.
While we regret it's defeat, it was,
perhaps, as we'll that there was no
postponement, but decisive fight on
it. No good could have been sub
served by delay. It is now evident
that Mr.. Gladstone would have gained
no additional strength or support there
by; and its is doubtful whether party
so widely split as the Liberals are on
this question could ever have come to-
gether again upon it. Any bill on
which Gladstone, Harrington and
Chamberlain could agree would be a
very patchwork and of doubtful utility
for Ireland.
AS it stands, the question must go to
the people for one of the most impor-
tant political struggles Great Britain
has known IN this century, AS Mr..
Gladstone declared, this question once
opened can never he laid to rest until
definitely settled Ireland can never
be relegated to the political condition
prevailing there before lie offered it
local government Liberals, Radicals
and Conservatives all recognize this -
that there must be some change in the
form of government by which it is to
be ruled in the future. Each party and
faction is willing to grant it something;
they fail only to agree as to what that
something shall be.
The problem of home rule in Ireland
has ceased to be mere question affect
ing that country. 1t is an imperial
one, affecting the integrity of the en-
pire, in which England and Scotland
are as vitality interested as the sister
island. 1t has begot as much agitation
and excitement in Great Britain as in
Erin, and it promises to exert as i'm
portant results politically.
There has been no measure of such
magnitude proposed since the corn
laws and reform bill. 1t promises to
change the politics and reorganize the
parties in Great Britain on an entirely
new basis. In the present condition of
affairs, it will he vain to hope to keep
the Liberals together. That party, al
ready consisting Of diverse and oppos-
ing factions, is drifting still farther
apart. He is wise prophet who can
predict it's future-w whether there will
be Wing, Liberal or Radical party in
the ascendency, whether there will be
a recasting of party lines.
The whole future is chaotic, and it is
impossible to predict the course of
events. A dissolution of Parliament
seems inevitable, and new election,
conducted mainly ON the Irish jssne,
and with. new political alliances and
combinations What the result will be
we will have to wait and see, for no
Englishman can speak definitely on
this point But amid all doubts one
thing is certain: that Ireland will So
cure better local government if not alb
solute home rule. There was major
ity in Parliament in favor of this, and
only II small majority against the
measure proposed by Mr.. Gladstone.
The war has been transferred from Ire
land to Great Britain, and will be
fought upon British soil; and the
whole English people recognize to-day
the great fact, which we have been so
often telling them, that the great prob
lem of their empire is better govern
ment for Ireland.