The Portland daily press., 1886-08-09

first man sworn. This swearing in will oc-
cupy some days. In the meantime all the
statesmen who have taken high office. having
by that fact ceased to represent their former
constituencies, have is seek reelection. New
Wits have been moved for, and the whole
process of reelection has to be gone through
over again. In one or two cases reelection
Is not by any means mere formality nor
1oregone conclusion. There will probably be
hight of keen and obstinate kind against
Henry Matthews, the new home secretary.
IN East birmingham, and it is not impossible
that other ministers may be treated to con-
test. All this will occupy time and it will be
something like fortnight before the House
OF Commons gets to anything like work.
What will that work be? Win there be
debate on the speech and an amendment to
the address? In other words, will there be
much inclined to think there will in any case
be such debate. | feel quite certain that ii
Gladstone does not himself bring it up, some
English radical below the gangway will do
so and will probably press to a division. l
am not saying whether | myself think 1t de-
sirable or not that some independent Radical
should take this course; l am only saying
that most asSuredly this course will be taken.
What GladstonianS of the inner circle say is
that they do not see much use just now in
ton, which would merely repeat and accent
uate the decision given by the general cleo
tions On the other hand, what the Glad
Stonians of the outer circle and the indie
pendent Radicals below the gangway say is
that the sooner they force the secessionist
Liberals to declare themselves the better.
Suppose, for example, an amendment to the
address is proposed declaring that no settle
ment of the Irish question could be satisfac-
tory which did not proceed on the lines of
domestic legislation. How would the Liber-
al secessionists vote? Almost every man of
them, except Harrington, has declared again
and again in favor of the principle of home
rule. Would it not be well, some Radicals
argue, to force these men to be true to their
words or publicly to renounce them? Ii they
vote against such an amendment they declare
against home rule of any kind. If they vote
for it they declare against the Conservative
government and drive the first nail into its
coffin. Such is the argument OF both sides.
give no opinion of my own, for am now
talking only of what Englishmen propose to
do or not to do.
The action which the Irish party may de-
eide on taking or supporting is not yet
known; at all events, not yet known to me.
/ For have not been able to leave London Ito
| attend the meeting of the party in Dublin to-
| day. and il it were known to me certainty
| would not proclaim it in advance from the
| housetops. But think l may venture to
! make prophecy as to Gladstone. Gladstone
| comes back to lead the opposition only be-
cause he has nailed his home rule colors to
the mast, and is determined to fight for home
rule as long as there is any fight in him or
| there is need of his hand in the battle. Ii,
| however, the Conservatives should make up
their minds to offer scheme of home rule
which Ireland could accept, then Gladstone
would consider himself released from all
necessity of remaining in public life. 1t is
extremely unlikely that the Tories will dc
anything of the kind just yet, but if they. dc
| it tomorrow Gladstone will give up public
| life the day after.