The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-10-05
Sofia Reported to be In a State of
Revolution.
Cavalry Patrols the Streets at Night
to Prevent Conspiracy.
The People Highly Excited and
Trouble Expected.
Forty Persons Drowned by Floods
Algeria.
French Officers and Men Killed by
Pirates.
Two Women Shot in Ireland by
Moonshiners.
The Investigation OF the Cause of
the Riots Interrupted.

HAwARDEN, Oct. 4.-Mr. Gladstone and
his wife today received Mrs. L: ID. Sullivan,
wife If the Lord Mayor of Dublin, and
deputation of Irish ladies appointed by the
with mammoth petition in favor OF home
rule. The petition bears the signatures of
100000 Irish women. Great crowds have
fiocked hither all day in view OF the event.
Accompanying the deputatlon OF Irish ladies
were deputations representing the municipal
councils Of Cork, Limerick, Waterford
and Clonmel. The .place was perfectly alive
with visitors. When Gladstone and family
emerged from the house to receive the depu--
prolonged cheers. Mrs. Sullivan read an
address of the Irish women.
The Mayor of Cork, Mayor of Limerick,
Mayor of Waterford and Mayor of Clonmel
then, each presented Gladstone with the
thanked him for his chiyalrous and splendid
efforts to restore Ireland's Parliament, ex-
pressing the hope that he would soon visit
Ireland to receive from the Irish people at
their homes the thanks they all felt towards
him.
When Gladstone replied his voice was
somewhat husky. He said he believed the
deputations and the Nationalist members of
the House of Commons truly represented
the Irish as a people. "At my age, how
ever" Mr. Gladstone said, in reference to
the request that he visit Ireland, the ques-
ton of visiting Ireland is beset with uncer-
tainties. Whatever may be my condition,
whether of bodily presence or absence from
among them, the Irish people will always
largely share my interest and my affection"
Mr.. Gladstone added that he must deny
the statement that he had renOunced his
former attitude by supporting 1.-The proposal
to restore the Irish Parliament. He said al
so that he was thankful for the share he
took in passing such Irish measures as had
been laws during his public career. He con-
tinued:
ssThe whole character of the Irish contro-
versy has altered. we DO not now conlen-
faced century ago. 1t was necessary that
the late governments Irish proposals should
have been put forward in accord with the
desires of the Irish nation, and also to make
it clear that the proposals stood within the
limits of imperial honor, safety and welfare:
These aims were completely attained, and
they have been sustained by singular mild
ness and temperance of expression which
have so far characterized the conduct OF
Irishmen at every stage of the. agitation un-
til now. Cheers. l am quite prepared to
retire from public life if l could believe that
it were better for Ireland, but am unable to
arrive at this conclusion. EnglandS interest
is as mnch involved as lreland;s. 1;s. On % the
my it is Englands interest to change in
some way the present civil government in
ireland which costs the British taxpayer
yearly 16 shillings per head of the popula-
tlOn, Wlll6 JHe CIVIL SOV6Iuultit III EDEidiiu
and Scotland cost yearly but shllllngs per
head of population. son far higher grounds
England ought to cOncede Ireland's request
England's character is concerned. There is
a strain upon England in respect OF her rela-
tions toward Ireland" | deny that the term
separation which opponents unscrupulously
use to describe the meaning OF the late gov
ernment proposals is correctly applied to the
case The promoters Of the bill never
thought of separation. We cOurted careful
comparison of Grattan'S parliament with
the parliament the bill proposed. The
sphere within which Ireland desires free
action which is specially the sphere of local
government would have been attained under
our bill better far than it was possessed un-
der the Grattan parliament The present
government encourages the Irish land occu-
piers to believe that judicial rents Will be re-
duced, that is embodied in the appointment
of the present land commission, also in
Marquis of Salisbury's speech at the com
mencement of parliamentary session in what
he said concerning rents. L do not accept
his statement to any great extent regarding
legislation which he said his government
proposes for the next session. l reserve
judgement also ON the wonderful encyclope-
dia delivered Saturday by Lord Randolph
Churchill, whose performances are less
known than his promises. 81 am unable to
gather from either of these statements
declaration of fresh concessions. Full JUS
tice to Ireland requires careful investigation
of her financial history before we reach a
conclusion as to what should be accorded
her. hope that Ireland's triumph will
close with prOmptitude, with cheerfulness
and with joy, and hope there will be no in
tervening period of gloom"