Huntsville gazette., 1886-01-30

port during the progress Of the debate on
the address in reply to the speech from
the throne.
The Tories, ever since Thursday, have
been discontented with Salisbury. They
accuse him of everything bad polti-
cally, but principally of want of
courage in delaying to offer coercion
proposals. The upshot of the develop
ments resulting from the Queens speech
will probably be the proposal of measures
certain to secure defeat of the Govern
ment. If the Government is defeated
Salisbury may than either resign or re-
main in power, and order q new
election, or "appeal to the country"
If he resigns, of course Mr.. Gladstone
will be called upon to form a cabi-
net. 1t has been urged by the Tories that
Salisbury should, in the event of
defeat in Parliament, order new
election for the purpose of running the
Irish party by the expense. The Queen
favors this plan, and, in order to insure
its success, would redouble coercion in
Ireland "in order to secure free cleo
tions," but there is reason to state that
Salisbury is opposed to it, because Of its
injustice and because he believes that the
Parnellites would really increase their
membership. He is at present disposed
to resign on the first occasion which pre-
sents itself and throw the whole burden
of settling the Irish question upon Mr..
Gladstone.
The cabinet, at.their meeting Yesterday,
decided to give precedence in the parlia-
mentary business to the proposal to
change the rules of procedure. AS this
contains clause making one hundred
I<~cf f1,.N -.
tion to adjourn before business, it is pos
sible that it may prove the downfall OF
the ministry, because the Parnelltes be-
lieve it is intended to deprive their eighty
six members of their present power to
lawfully obstruct business, and will op-
pose it and insist on the Liberals helping
them defeat the Government. Salisbury
has declared that he will resign the mo-
'ment the Parnellites and Liberals COM
bine, and they will perhaps give him an
opportunity of carrying out his desire to
relinquish office.
Lord Harrington, Secretary for War in
Mr.. Gladstone's Cabinet, has decided to
adopt an independent course on the Irish
question. Much fuss is being made by
the Conservatives over this, and they pre-
tend to believe that Harrington will dis
rupt the Liberal party. Lord Harrington
has, however, less influence in the Liberal
party than even Sir Charles Dixie, and his
loss of power has been due also to pri-
vate scandal, liable to be made public at
any time. Neither gentleman can afford
to make himself very obstreperOus just
now. Mr.. Gladstone long ago decided to
exclude Harrington from any cabinet he
might be called upon to form and this de-
cision undoubtedly has influenced the err
ing mans present political course as much
as anything else. 1t is known that Mr..
Gladstone, with view to emergencies,
has been busily engaged for some days
in selecting men for a possible Liberal
Cabinet and securing an understanding
with them. He has resolved TO secure
unity, and will require from every Minis
ter full and unqualified acceptance of
certain proposals for solution of the
home rule question, including amend
ments to the Irish land act and the land
purchase act. 1t can be said on good au-
thority that Mr.. Gladstone has matured a
scheme for granting tenants in Ireland
perpetuity of tenure. The scheme, it
is said, will make all holdings copy
hold, and the rents reducible in exact
proportion to the full values of their
agricultural produce. 1t will also en-
power tenants to redeem quit rents at
fixed price and obtain from the govern
ment cash advances on easy terms. The
entire plan will comprise an attempt to
include so many and such extensive re-
forms that it may either be acceptable to
the Parnellites in place of a more nominal
home rule measure for the present, or
else secure the support of the Wings in
the event of the failure of a more radical
measure.
The Right Hon. William Henry Smith,
the present millionaire Chief Secretary
for Ireland, has prepared for the Govern
ment bill having for its object the car
rying out of the Salisbury plan Of buying
out the landlords of Ireland. The bill es-
tablishes a system Of Gland banks"
throughout the country to enable tenants
to borrow money from the Government
at low rates and on long terms for the
purpose of purchasing the fees to their
holding, the prices of the latter to be
computed at twenty years rental at pres
ent rates, the tenants to refund in yearly
payments, amounting to half the present
rentals, the payments to be in lieu of
taxes and be used to defray
the local government expenses. Mr..
Smith has come out in strong
opposition to any revival OF coercion in
Ireland. He has advised the Govern
ment to refrain from al attempts to re-
press the National League as con-
spiracy, taking the ground that it Is a
legitimate and proper political organiza-
ton. Mr. Smith urges the Government
to conciliate the Parnellite members as
much as possible in dealing with the Irish
question, both as a matter of policy and
good sense.
The headquarters of the executive
committee of the National League will
soon be removed to Liverpool. This
change is deemed necessary in view
of Ethe increased necessity for Mr..
Parnell and his chief lieutenants to re-
main closely in London.
Late last night Mr.. Gladstone stated
that his promise to the Queen to help
the Government maintain peace and
order in Ireland bound him to judicious~
ly assist the ministry in securing reform
in the procedure rules. But, he added,
Il did not bind him to help secure the
passage of the 100-member clause. he
said he could not look upon that as neces-
,ory 70 the maintenance of peace Ire