The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-01-07
GLADSTONE SOLID.


Seview Of the Political Situation In In.
gland Points to Working Majority for
Gladstone and His Measures, and the
Return of the Grand Old Man" to
Power-The Irish Have SCOT Little
List"
LONDON, December 2T.-From q very
near friend of Mr.. Gladstone it is learned
that everything is settled as to home
rule The entire Nationalist strength
goes solid for Gladstone's home-rule
measure. The Radicals of the North, the
Liberals of Scotland and Wales, the Lib
eral delegations from the new county
constituencies, with scarcely an excep-
ton, and fully two-thirds of the members
classified as Dixie, Chamberlain and
caucus men, have responded afirmativeiy
to the private inquiry set on foot with
the view of discovering whether they are
prepared TO throw in their lot for good or
for lad with the Liberal
chief. The Conservative and
Liberal whips have beea equally busy
among the ministerialists and the landed
element in Gladstone's camp, and we
know now almost to a man who are the
unpledgcd and who are pledged to Glad
stone and who to Salisbury. OF the 332
Liberals elected to the new Parliament,
81 Welsh, 80 Scotch and 40 English, a
total Of 256 are solid for Gladstone under
any and all circumstances. This leaves
scventy-seven Liberal members unpledged
for GladstOne'S Irish hOme-rule bill as
outlined by responsible party managers
The Nationalist vote of 1856 goes solid
for Gladstone, bringing up his assured
total to $40.
Against this Salisbury can count on the
solid Tory vote, PSI, and part of the
seventy-seyen unpledged Liberals. Civ
ing him the entire unpledged Liberal vote
he may muster 4 total of 326 against
Gladstone's 342, a majority of fourteen
for Gladstone, which can be counted on
implicitly. 1t must be stated, how
ever, that of the seventy-seven Lib
erals who are regarded as possible
Tory recruits, only forty-six are out
and-Out Harrington men, and Of the
remaining thirty-one fully sixteen would
support Gladstone in any moderate
Irish measure, and the remainder
are for Chamberlain first, and Glad
stone aftcrward. SO far, therefore,
the way has beer cleared,
Dut parliamentary hdIldlt III lllS COul-
try is full of surprises and pitfalls. A
man may have a ma ority and yet suffer
defeat through mismanagcmeIt, luke
warmncss, accident or the development
unexpected situations beyond the power
of men or parties to forecast or control.
We already see SYMPTOMS of unusual de-
vclopmcnt on the political horizon. The
Times has prepared us for an attempt to
eXpcl the Irish members of the Govern
ment and is preparing us for 50 extreme
n measure rs the diSfranChiSement TO
constructive trcasOn-felony of the Iris,
bOrOu9hS returning Nationalist men,
berS to Parliament, and now, To cap il all,
we have assurance, that no man CONVEX
SAINT with political life here could for Il
moment hesitate to accept, that any meas
IRE Gladstone may carry against the
Tories will be thrown out of the Lords,
and that the Lords are preparing for the
inevitable life and death struggle with
the Commons that such a course is al
most certain to provoke. Although Glad
stone is now sure of a good working
majority for his Irish bill, it is by no
means sure that he will be able to carry it
through Parliament.
The Irish Parliamentary black list is
making mischief 1t was published
fortnight ago, and is designed to enable
Irish members of Parliament to distip-
guish their English, Scotch and Welsh
colleagues who in the last Parliament
placed themselves on record as "enemies
of Ireland by voting against Irish inter-
estS. The votes on which members are
held to account were on the crimes &c.
and resolutions to eXpei Irish members.
The general Secretary of the London eX-
ecutive of the Irish National League in
Great Britain and the honorable Secre-
tary of the union of metropolitan
branches of the League are NOM
iDally responsible for the list.
1t is learned that Gladstone, John Bright,
Chamberlain, Dixie, Harcourt and other
eX-MiniSters, have received copies and
finding themselves pillOried in the black
list are exceedingly sore about it. Glad
stone, the champion of eternal justice and
Liberal ideas, is down for LIS anti-Irish
votes; Bright, the universal philanthrO-
pist for POI; Chamberlain and Dixie, the
twin brothers of RepIhlicanSm, for 2lI
and 2i0, respectively. The Liberal lead
erS would not care so much for the black
list if it began and ended with the Paria-
ment of SSO-S5, but the Nationalist League
have arranged 70 publish regularly
during the coming and future sessions the
votes of all members of Parliament on
Irish questions. Every branch of the Ma
tionalist Lea&ue, every Irish member OF
Parliament, every Irish organization in
English, Scotch and Welsh constituencies
will receive copies of this diabolical list
TO enable Irish voters to follow clearly
and intelligently the course of English,
Scotch and Welsh members of Pariiamcn'
on Irish questions. The feeling OF an
noyance finding expression over the black
hist, indicates stormy scenes in the
lobby when Parliament opens The opin-
ion is forcibly expressed that members of
Parliament, whether they be Irish OF
otherwise, who cOuntenance such modern
resources of civilization ought to be oS-
tracised.
1t is believed that Mr.. Gladstone will
not challenge the position of the Govern
ment until the speech from the throne has
been delivered in February. The pro-
ceedings next month will be mainly pre-
liminaTy, such as are incident on organiza-
ton of the House of Commons.
Severe storm.