Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-25
BALFOUR'S IRISH BILL.
THE MEASURE PASSES SECOND
READING IN THE COMMONS.
Gladstone Makes . Great Speech in
Opposition to 1.-THE Liberals
Disappointed.

Irish local government bill was resumed
today in the commons. Gladstone
spoke at great length. He said the
house was in the singular position Of
discussing bill which it was improba-
BILE would be proceeded with. In 1885,
chamberlain and Lord Harrington
promised Ireland everything short Of an
Independent parliament. Now all these
promises are dissolved in the present
meager bill. which stamped Ireland
with inequality, as compared with
England and Scotland, and falsified the
miserable relics Of the solemn pledge by
which the present majority was obtained
by the government in 1885. Lord Sails
bury's recent language distinctly en-
couraged civil war. Definite explana-
tions ought to be given whether the
cabinet ia generally OF the same opinion
! = BID sd fthe ministers believe, : asked
6iadstone, that the people OF Ulster
you'd rebel against the decision of par
ffament, or that the employment OF the
powers Of the crown to suppress such q
rebellion would be such an outrage as
would rend society in two? If Lord
Salisbury's language meant anything, it
was a plain invitation to q few mis-
guided men to resort to violence to re-
sist the authority of parliament. These
were the conditions the Irish members
had offered them in the stinted gift of
the present bill.
Gladstone then at length examined
the leading provisions Of the bill and
said it stamped Ireland with inequality
and inferiority, by withholding from her
the power and privileges that obtained
in her sister countries.
Gould it be possible, asked Gladstone,
to conceive greater contempt for his
tory and disregard OF sound political
principles? Gould the bill be called an
honest effort to satisfy Irish aspirations
or fair attempt to lekislate for Ireland ?
Rather might it be called the refuse of
political legislation. The bill conferred
on, the Liberals one great advantage: 1t
gave the people power to measure and
determine exactly the value of the splen-
did Conservative promises of absolute
equality with the laws of Great Britain.
Was Ireland wrong in rejecting this
measure? No; the stamp Of inequality
was the brand of degradation. If Ire
land was capable of accepting the meas
ure so stamped she was unworthy of the
great men who had led her in times OF
adversely; unworthy of that happy,
better destiny he trusted and believed
shewas about to accomplish. [Cheers. ]
Balfour responded to Gladstone. He
analyzed and explained Lord Salisbury's e
remarks, putting upon them a more
favorable Interpretation than that ad-
vanced by Gladstone. Then coming
down to the matter of the bill, he
urged that it was substantially the same
as the English and Scotch bill. If there
was difference, it was due to the Pc
culiar conditions prevailing in Ireland.
The bill was opposed, he said, solely be-
cause il would not serve the purpose oi
the Irish agirators. What was the real
aim of the home rulers? 1t was separa-
tion. [Cheers.]
The government believed local gov
ernment would be a great boon to q
population knowing how to use it. The
government desired to confer this boon
on Ireland. The issues were clear on
their side; it rested with Gladstone to
make his clear. The government had
shown it still earnestly desired to ac'
complish what it aimed to do. What
Gladstone desired to do, no human
being knew.
The bill passed to second reading, 1886
to 247, amid great Conservative cheers
They are delighted at their solid major
ity. The only Gladstonians who voted
with the government were Storey anc
Villiers. The Liberals are disappointed
at the result, blaming it on the absence
Of 80 many Irish members. Out o
twenty-nine Parnellites, only sixteer
voted and out of fifty-five Mccarthy
ties. only thirty-eight.