The Irish standard., 1893-02-18
1 BI
g,he International Measure Intro
ss5saF d1lced Last Monday in the
s British Parliament.
GLADSTONE,S GREAT SPEECH,
The Irish Members Prefer the
Bill as a Whole to the One
81 Offered in 1885.

= 4
Bill as Whole to the One
Offered in 1886.
5 Last Monday was memorable day in
the British House of Commons. The
rush to get into the galleries was equal
TO the struggling to enter the legislative
chamber. All the galleries were packed
to their fullest capacity. Justice Har'
Ian. Of the United States supreme court,
who will shortly proceed to Paris to take
part in the Behring sea arbitration, had
8 seat in the diplomatic gallery
He was accompanied by Hon. Robert
F. Lincoln, the United States minister.
Scores of other noted strangers we're in
the gallery. They were greeted by Earl
Spencer, first lord of the admiralty, Earl
Of Roseberry, secretary of state for
foreign affairs, both of whom found
themselves unable to gain access to the
peers gallery.
Among the distinguished auditors IN
the chambers were the Prince OF Wales,
the Duke of Teck, who, seated above the
clock, listened intently to the speech.
The preliminaries to the event OF the
day we're dispatched in about hall an
hour. Mr.. Gladstone during all OF this
time was not in the house. While it
was going on he and Mrs. Gladstone left
their official residence in Downing street.
A large crowa had long been awaiting
their appearance, and when Mrs. Glad
stone came out arrying large bunch OF
lilies. she was Justify cheered. A
brougham was in waiting, ard through
the cheering Mrs. Gladstone passed and
entered the carriage. She was closely
f,howed by Mr.. Gladstone, who, as he
emerged from his home, was greeted
with renewed and prolonged cheering.
Mr. Gladstone entered the House OF
Commons at $50 o'clock. Every Liberal
and Irish Nationalist in the house stood
up and greeted him with pro onged and
cheers. When Mr.. Glad.
stone arose 43 minutes past to intro
duce the Home Rule bill there was an.
other demonstration so earnest, so en-
thusiastic ana irrepressible that it was
several minutes before he could be
heard.
aLADsroNE's SPEECH.
His voice was clear. strong and reson-
ant and he preserved a good command OF
it to the end. In his exordium he re-
ferred to his utterances when introduc-
ing the Home Rule bill of 1886 and re
minded the house Of his saying that in
their transactions with Ireland they had
arrived at point where the two roads
parted, one or the other Of which was to
be chosen. One is the way of Irish au-
tonomy, and the other is the way OF
coercion.
Well, what has been the result of the
dilemma as it was then put forward on
this side Of the house and repealed on
the other? Has our contention that the
choice lay between autonomy and coer-
oion been justified or not? Liberal
cheers). What has become of each and
ali Of those important schemes 'or Civ
ing Ireland sell. in provinces,
and giving her even (. central establish
ment in Dublin with limited powers?
All vanished into thin air, but the reality
remains. The roads were still there
autonomy or coercion. The choice lay
between them and the choice was to re-
pei autonomy and embrace coercion.
You cannot always follow coercion in an
uniform method, In 1886 for the first |
time coercion Was imposed on Ireland IN
the shape of permanent law: added to
the statute book. This state of things
constituted as offending against he har-
mony and traditions of self government
It was q distinct and violent breach of
The promise on the faith of which union
was obtained. That permanent system
Of repression inflicted upon the country
= state Of things which could not con
bluu0 10 GAl6ks 1t was A"SN06AOAS w
bring the inhabitants of the country un-
der coercion into sympathy with the
power.
Mr.. Gladstone proceeded to dilate at
ength upon the circumstances under
Which the act of the union was passed,
he promise of equality in the laws, and
# commercial equality under which
,nion was effected 1t was then prophe-
led confidently, he said, that lrishmen
would take their places in the cabinet of
he United Kingdom, but it had been his
IGNORED destiny to sit in cabinets with
10 less than go or 70 statesmen, of whom
My one, the Duke of Wellington, was
n Irishman, while Castlereaqh was the
MY other Irishman who had sat in the
.abinet since the union. Pitt promised
,aual laws when the union was formed,
ut the broken promises ma 9 to Ire
sna1ad WE'RE rnhapDiIy written in indelible