New-York tribune., 1886-03-28
SUPPLEMENT.
PAGES 9 TO IL.
ROME RULE PROSPECTS.
HOW THINGS LOOK IN THE COMMONS
LORD HARTINGrON'S POSITION.


Gladstone for inquiry and examination is described
by the Parnelhte organ rs a pious fraud anC
comedy Mr. Gladstone. saws his caudid-very
eandid-friend, has demanded a month to faml
iarize the English mind with a project which, sly
months ago wonld have seemed to them as ont
raccous as a proposal TO sCuItle the British Navy
and sink It TO the bottom of the sea" Neither Mt
Gladstone, however, nor his candid friend has
given perfectly accurate account of tins interval
Mr. Gladstone himself is known to be hard at woIK
on a scheme of what be calls constructive
legislation Other people cal it destructive legiS-
latlon Give II what name you like, II Is according
10 all testimony, a scheme for the construction OF
an Irish Legislature and for the destruction of the
existing Union between England and Ireland Both
descriptions OF his abOrs therefore correct The
form these midnight tolls will ultimately take IS
known TO nobody outside the Cabinet and to per
hapS one or two inside.
prring the interval nothing decisive can occur,
but great many things occur which are to say
the least interesting The state Of public opinion
remains ! think, pretty much what it YVES. The
average Englishman is not a man to call his THINK
ing faculties into use till he must. He VIII
make ND his mind about Mr.. GladStonc's pro-
posal when Mr.. Gladstone's proposal Is before nun
and not TIL then. Lord Harrington told the
Eighty Club on Friday that, in his belief, no con-
siderable section of the people of tins country had
vet advanced to the opinion that the concession Oh
an Irish Parliament IN Dublin, whether lEdcpeh-
dent or dependent is which can safely he
granted | have heard n similar, though not qmte
thc same opinion expressed by a leading Liberal
who belongs to that wing of tie Liberal party
which is supposed to be most remote from
Lord Harrington. According to this KadlcaI-
Liberal or Aforementioned chief there is
no evidence that the country has made UP
its mind one way or tho other. state of perfect
tranquility prevails There is no pane about
Home Rule-thcre is scarcely, among people in gen
eral, any alarm The possibility of breakup OF
the Empire has not presented itself to the ever
sluggish imagination of the English people There
was an outbreak of hostility to the proposal Of
separation which cane, or was supposed to come,
from Hawardeu last December. 1t was strong
enough and general enough to induce Mr.. Gladstone
10 drop his scheme for the moment,
or to postpone tho authentic announce
ment of 1t. Parliament met in January.
II was AZ once apparent that Mr.. Gladstone had
not abandoned his purpose. lie did not proclaim
il no is as be has himself saId, too old Parlia-
meutary hand for that. What he did was to make
a speech which committed him To nothing, but
which none the less evoked shower of sympathetic
cheers from the Parnelltes. 4 member Of the House
VINO is an cnlDUNllSllC Angler htSCIiDcu S'Vi4C
in a sentence Mr.. Gladstone, he said Just dangled
Home Rule before them for minute, as if it had
been a blue doctor and then withdrew IT, There
was no effort to make them take the fly. They
were allowed a glimpse of it, not long enough 10
fnghten them or to attract them; just long enough
to let them know il was there.
Opinion in the House of Commons and opinion IN
the country act and react on each other. At the
opening of 4 new question. however the House of
ComInoas has public opinion of its own, aHd one
that il more easily gauged than that of the entire
British public. In the present House, and on the
question of Home Rule the general sense of the
House has undergone some changes. If the late
Government had had the courage of their opinions,
they could probably have carried at the beginning
Of the session the substance OF the lush proposals
which later did not avail to save them from ship
wreck They would have been joined by moderate
Liberals sufficient in number TO carry a resolution
or bll for supprcssing the National League for re-
storing order, and jointly with these, for establish
ing some form or reform of local government in
Ireland not involving Home Rule. That day is
past. Mr. Gladstone has Tegained all and more than
all his old influence and Is perhaps more potent
personality IN this new House than ever he was in
any House chosen by narrower electorate. The
new members have fallen under the spell of that
cnchantinent of speech and manner which few TO
whom it is not familiar long resist.
There are plenty of Parliamentary prophets now
to be met with who tell you that Mr.. Gladstone
can carry through the present House of Commons
anythiH. he sees fit to propose; Home Rule
There are others who maintain that the
Irish measure which the old Parliamentary hand
is to brIng in will he sugar-coatcd phi, easy to
swallow and pleasant to the palate The sugu will
make ii 20 down with Liberals in general the
Paruehtes will perceive that all the bitterness Of
Home Rule j. safely wrapped up il II. This view
takes for granted a degree of simple mindedne>s
which seems most unlikely TO prevail. Mr.. Glad
stone must propose one of two things. His Irish
panacea must be a substantive measure. 1t will IN
ciu1e an Igish Parliament or it will not. If 1t
does there Will be a Liberal minority who cannot
he cOaxed into accepting II. If 1t does
not, Mr.. Parnell will reject il. There
is the dilemma from which no way
Of escape seems possible The real question is How
large VIII be :he Liberal ant-Home Rule minority
Lord Hartington's speech Of Friday, which was
by far the most important OF recent days, tails to
answer this question, and fails 10 throw any clear
lght on hls own intentions or on the composition
of the body of Wing Liberals who may be expected
10 follow him. The Tories, whose misfortune IT Is
seldom to take other than purely party views of
great national questions, cry out against him.
I. ord Harrington has missed his chance, eXclalins
the chef Tory organ. If he was looking for
good opportunity of gong over to the Conserva-
tive camp he has perhaps missed it, but | do
not see what else he has missed. There cannot be
many people who supposed Lord Harrington would
really accept Lord Randolph ChurcLilPs polite in
vitation 10 walk into the Tory parlor. In no case
could he have chosen Friday TO execute such
lnanGuvrc, tor he spoke as the guest of Liberal
club The line he took was the Obvious line. lie
has not ceased to be Liberal. lie Las not ceased
to admire and respect NJ. Gladstone. He does not
complain of Nj. Gladstone because lie has un-
dertaken to consider The Irish demand He holds
that the Liberal party and the country are bound
70 give respectful consideration to anything Mr..
Gladstone has to say 10 propose that subject,
OF on any other subject He admits that
at the bottom of Mr. Gladsto1e's present medita-