The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-04-15
GLADSTONE'S EFFORT.
He Unfolds His Plan for Home
Rule in Ireland.

LONDON, April 9.-Intense excitement
existed yesterday throughout the United
Kingdom over the Irish proposals OF Mr..
Gladstone. Great crowds assembled liz the
neighborhood of Parliament. Irishmen and
their sympathizers being especially con-
spicuOus.
Before going to the House of Commons
Gladstone took a drive through st. James
Park. going away from the crowd by the
west end of Downing street. He desired
to be awhile in the fresh air before going to
Parliament. He returned to his residence
and IN few moments emerged On his way
TO the House of Commons.
The police had opened the way for him
to Parliament street, down that across
Bridge street to the House. They had TO
work hard to make passage and harder
yet TO keep it open. Gladstone went in an
open carriage and his appearance was
greeted with. Geafening cheers. The
enthusiasm OF the people all the way from
the door of his house 10 the Commons en-
trance was spontaneous and vented it.
self a. tie beginning of the Journey in a
roar of applause loud and great enough 10
make the statesman dizzy, and when the
whole immense crowd caught one tremen-
dOus long, Old-fa-hiOued cheer was sent up
the like of which WAS never before heard
in London and which was plainly audible
in the House. The cheering continued I'M
I'll long after Gladstone had entered the
Parliament building.
IL THE HOUSE.
Within the building the Prime Minister'S
reception, though less dcmonstrative, was
equally enthusiastic with that he had with
out. He was apparently in the best spirits
and bowed right and left to acquaintance
as he passed them. When the usual
tnTmalites attending the opening of Parlia-
ment were over, it was voted to postpone
reading and answering questions on
The notice paper. Hardly had
this been done when at 4:30
Gladstone entered the house. His entrance
was followed by loud and prolonged cheers,
which continued for several minutes.
Among the Liberals and PamelliteS great
enthusiasm prevailed, and it is safe to say
10 such a scene was ever witnessed before
in the House of Common. AS soon as
the cheering subsidized Gladstone arose and
moved for permission to introduce bill
to amend the previous legislation and make
provision for the future government of Ire
land.
GLADSTONE'S SPEECH.
On making the motion Gladstone said:
81 could wish that ii had been possible to
eXpound to the House the whole policy and
intentions of the Government with refer
ence to Ireland. Although the questions
OF reform in the tenure of land and Irish
government are SO closely and nSeparably
connected, it is yet impossible TO under
take the task of Calculating both questions
together.
Il do not know of any previous task laid
upon me involving 50 diversified an eXpos-
ton. In contemplating the magnitude of
the task | am filled with painful mistruSt
but that mistrust is absorbed in feeling of
.he responsibility that will be upon me if |
should fail to bring home to the public
mind the magnitude and the various aspects
of the question. We should 10 longer fence
or skiTmiSh with this question. Loud
cheers. We should come to close quarters
with it. Cheers. We should get at tie
root of it We should take means not merely
intended for to-day or tomorrow. but
should look into the distant future. We
have arrived at a stage in our political
transactions with Ireland when the two
roads part one from the other, not soon
probably TO meet again. The time is come
when it is incumbent upon the duty and the
honor of Parliament to come to some de-
ciSive resolution on this matter. Our inten-
ton is therefore to propose to the Commons
that which, If happily accepted, will, we
think, liberate Parliament from the re-
straints under which of late years it has in
effectually struggled TO perform the bust
ness of the country, and will restore British
legislation TO its natural, ancient, unim-
peded course, and, above all, establish har-
moniOuS relations between Great Britain
and Ireland Hear. heart! on a footing of
those free institutions to which English
men, ScOtchmen and Irishmen alike are I'M
alterably attached. Loud cheers, pro-
lOnged by Home Rule members
After reviewing the condition and crime
existing in Ireland since 1888, MIR. Gladstone
described the cOercive legislation enforced
during the same period as not exceptional
but habituai. He compared Ireland during
all this period to a man trying TO find susie
nance in medicine only meant for cure
Coercion never had,' he said, proved a
cure, and serious disaffection continued to
prevail in Ireland, and if England and
Scotland had suffered similar hardship. he
believed the people of those countries
would resort 20 means similar to those the
Irish had employed, to ventilate their griev-
anceS." IParnelite cheers. Coercion was
admitted to have been failure for the past
1ifty-three years. only two of which had
been wholly free from repreSsve legislation
Coercion, unless stern and unbending and
under an autOcTatic government must al
ways fail Such coercion England should
never resort TO until every other means had
failed.
what was the basis of the whole mis-
chief was the fact that the law was dis
credited in Ireland. 1t came to the Irish
people with a foreign aspect, and their al |
Tentative to coercion was To strip the law
of its foreign character and invest it with a
domestic character. Loud Irish cheers. |
Ireland though represented in Parliament
numerically equal with England or Scot |
land, was really not in the same position |
politically. England made her own laws |
as effectually as if she had six times her !
present representation. The consequence |
was that the main spring of the law in En- |
gland and Scotland was felt to be the En- |
gliSh or Scotch. The main spring of the |
law in Ireland was not felt by the people to |
be Irish. He therefore deemed il little less |
than mOckery TO hold that the state of law
which he had described conduced to the !
real unity of this great, noble, worldwide /
empire.
Something must he DONE continued !
Mr.. Gladstone, something is imperatively /
demanded from US to restore in Ireland the 1
first conditions of civil lite, the free course |
of law, the liberty of every individual in the !
eXercice of every legal right, their confidence |
in their law and their sympathy with the /
law, apart from which no country can be |
called civilized country.
what then was the problem before
him? 1t was this: How to reconcile i'm
perial unity with diversity of legislature.
Mr.. Grattan held that those purposes were
rRcOnciIahIe and more than thar ba do !