New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-19
MR.. GLADSTONES SCHEME.
e,cxIFICANCE OF THE SECOND READING
OF THE HOME RULE BILL


o.ded that the second reading of the Home Rule
Hill will be carried in the House of Commons.
The Irish members can by themselves either carry
{, or defeat it, They have elected, wisely from,
chair own point of wow to vote for the bill The
NcCarthyites give il cordial welcome The Par
raIIites by the voice of their leader, Mr.. Redmond
wore NOR reserved. but Mr. Rcdmond's speech
an Tuesday was regarded on both sides as an adj
bcsion in substance 10 the principle OF the bill,
and il is only the principle which will he af-
enne,l by a second reading. That fact-thc fact
that the principle of llcme Rule Will I've affirmed
he a second reading Of this bills the governing
fact of the situation, and that is why the Irish
yafonalists show their political good sense IN ac-
r,ting the bill. and would I've equally well adj
visd in accepting surrender far less complete
than this When once the House OF Commons
shall have affirmed the principle of Home Rule,
the whole question of the relation between Great
Britain AID Ireland is profoundly altered. a
General election is one thing; a majority for Mr.
gladstone might mean anything. 1t certainly
did not mean that the electorate OF the United
Kingdom approved his bill. for they did not know
what il was. 1t did not exist Mr. Gladstone
himself did not know. Nor IL il quite accurate
70 say that they voted for Horne Eulc even in
rrincipe What they did was to give him man
date TO frame u measure of Home Rule They
returned majority TO support him. Dat not TO
support him for all purpose, or for any conceivable
hill II is conceivable that he should have pro-
duced bill which lis majority would have Gc-
cined to vote for. There is no sign that any
section of them will decline to vote for the pres
ent measure, and if they do not the Home Rule
controversy will have entered Upon new STAGE
when the members are read out after the division
al the second reading Then and then only will
the election have done lis work; for then at last
rho majority of the House of Commons will have
recorded its opinion in favor of separate Parlia-
ment for Ireland
Mr. Balfour said on Tuesday rather incau-
tiouslv. that the only sound way of estimating
fine public opinion of this country is to count
the votes in the House of Commons. without too
curiousv inquiring whence they come eau
tiously or incautiously said. il is Il declaration
binding upon It's author and binding upon the
marty he leads unless and until it is disavoweI
hy the party or by some mere authoritative voice.
The effect of il is 10 commit Mr. Balfour and
the Cnionis rartv, though with limitation which
will presently state, TO the admission that when
the votes of the House of Commons have once
been counted in favor OF the second reading of
Mr.. Gladstones bill tie public opinion of the
country has been asccrtained II will then. for
the first time. have been pronounced, definitely
and automatically pronounced, in favor of llome
Rule Ii is a step which once taken can never
be retrace1.
II does not follow, far from it, that this bill
will ever become law, or that a statutory
Parliament will ever he set up in Dublin. "ha'
does follow is something sufficiently serious. Inc
second reading will increase the probability oil
the latter if not of the former event. ora"
the distinction because | think tins present piii
so monstrous in conception and in d"tall 'ha' II
is hard TO ina CINE its ultimate survival ana It's
final, or even provisional, acceptance Dy 'he
people of Great Britain in the form OIL co."-
Melted act Of Parliament None the less Is the
advantage accruing 10 its authors ana supporters
from a second reading very considerable, ana
wholly beyond dispute.
We may be quite sure that NOBODY Is hiorc
live TO that advantage than the Ola fafh"-
,entary Hand to whom in the main this measure
ives its being. He has sacrificed much ana
uperilled more in order TO make sure of carry
10 il through this critical stage He knows
hat further perils await it and him IN COM
,ittee He knows what awaits II and MN III
he House of Lords. should the bill ever get
here I imagine his vision of what VIII nap
ON in the House of Lords and OF WHAT VIII
nsue upon the inevitable, OverwhclminG' co'i-
emptuous rejection of his bill by the Lords Is
much clearer than his forecast OF the prooaoio
ourse of events in Committee i'll the lIOus" Vi
lannon's itself He stands in the presence OF
reat constitutional CONFUSION which ne mas
mself provoked; yes, and provoked lhoueh
IL unconsciousy, for political ana PERSONA enuS
n great part. lie has convinced himseii 'iIa'
! is zeal for the public good and concern Tor
he common welfare of Ireland and OF Great
Britain which are the mansprings OF his ac'loh'
'h., his zeal is sincere and his concern genuine
nav he admitted: but the origin Of both In their
resent form dates from lis discovery in 1888
hat Irish votes We're necessary to his return 10
over.
He will presently make another discovery lie
as announced it already in no vague tcrhls' ~
egan power is nothing unless he can reta.h IL
nd use il TO his own ends. Between him and his
pds stands the House Of Lords, and there can
v little doubt that he is ready 10 destroy the
Iousc of Lords unless it yields to his imperious
ummons. Having entered upon the path Of CON
titntional change. he is prepared TO follow 1t III
hc end What he really cares for is Home Rne
ut if in order to accomplish the overthrow OF tue
xs,ing Union. it he necessary TO kay violent hands
n another great institution, he will do th'"'
Ia counts On that. He has satisfied himself that
House
ody lis unpopular. He reckons that 1T Will be
asirr 70 carry Home Rule and the abolition of the
ords than Home Rule alone He looks, there
ore. 10 the opposition Of the Upper Chamber as
Ultimately n helm. not hindrance, and that Is one
4 the main sources Of the serene confidence when
is enemies are disposed TO call self-coniidence
his latter be has in high degree; but his faith
n the MASSAGE of his bin is probably matter OF
olitical calculation based on such considerations
$ briefly indicate.
Nevertheless the limitation upon Mr.. BaiIour
o.trnc. 10 which referred abcrc is also lImita-
ion upon Mr.. Glads'onc's policy, and il is tins
eith,r Mr.. Ballour nor Mr.. Gladstone would deny
hat the House Of Lords is within its clear CON
titutional right in the exercise of suspenSory
eto upon any measure cf constitutional cnahge
dopted by the House OF Commons. The phrase
uspensorv veto is not strictly accurate, but GUS