The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-10-07
THE g. O. M. AT EDINBURGH

stained ensign OF En9l8uu.
THE G. o. M. AT EDINBURGH.
The magnificent speech of Mr. Glad
stone before his Scotch constituents at
Edinburgh last Wednesday week is cal
culated sto give encouragement to the
friends of Irish Home Rule and to pro-
duce alarm among the British peers who
contemptuously rejected the measure at
ter a few days. debate. The veteran
statesman is not to be baked by the
upper house, and in his speech he gave
the country to understand that the lords
must pass the bill whether they are will
ing or not. He charged them with the
responsibility of impeding the legislati, 9
needs of the country by their opposition
to the Irish bill and met categorical]y
every objection which the advocates OF
the upper ouse have made in defense
of it's action. He recited at length the
legislation which the lords had blocked
since the reform bill of sixty years ago
and said: "Since l641 the legislation of
the house of commons has been per-
petual challenge to the house of lords.
Sometimes the latter has declined to &C.
cept the challenge, and has passed the
measures proposed, because if they had
not done SO there would have been no
house of lords at this date" He instanced
their opposition to the Irish disestablish~
ment bill and said it was passed by them
with i'll grace, and now when the country
has expressed it's determination in favor
of the principle of the Home Rule bill,
the house of lords will not be permitted
t stand in the way of its efectuation.
Referring to the assumed power OF the
house OF lords to force dissolution OF
parliament, the grand old man grew g hot
under the collar" to use an American
phrase, and declared it unconstitutional
for the hereditary peers to claim the
right of requiring reference OF the bill
to the country before it was submitted to
the will of the house of commons. "No
such thing" be exclaimed, '.has been
recorded at any period of our history as
dissolution brought about by vote of
the house of lords. Such contention is
gross, monstrous innovation, an odious,
new-fargled doctrine" "If the house OF
lords," he contin ued, "ever means forcing
a dissolution, it might depend upon it
that the Irish question would not be the
only question considered; but that their
own independent and Irresponsible exist
ence would be taken into consideration.
We cannot give way to the lords, although
they bear high sounding titles and sit in
a gilded chamber"
GLOW are we to face the situation?'
asked Mr.. Gladstone, bis question being
followed by storm of cheers. "Ot
course not by dreaming of illegal pro-
ceedings in any form: I would even dis
suade vehemence. cannot produce a
cut and dried solution of the present
dilemma, yet cling to the hope that
wiser counsels may prevail among the
lords and induce them to grant the irish
some just satisfaction for their aspira-
tions; but, if not, your case is not new
one; if on one side there is determined
nation, the latter will not be baffled by
the phalanx Of 500 peers" Loud cheer
ing.]
This speech of Mr.. Gladstone was not
strong enough to satisfy the Radical
members who are thirsting for the abol-
ition of the den of thieves who have
been preying on the substance of the
British and Irish people for generations.
But as a starter the speech was sui.
ficiently bold and defiant to intimidate
the aristocracy, and we are of the opinion
they will bow to the will of the people to
avoid the abolition of their house.
At the next congress of the National
Liberal Federation the campaign against
the lords will begin in earnest. This
con. ress will demand in it's platform re-
form or On abolition of the hereditary
chamber. esquire" Smalley, Whitelaw
Reid's hired man in London, says that
no effort has yet been made to ''down the
lords" and that no public meetings have
been held to arouse the indignation of
the democracy against them, but he for
gets to state that the members of the
popular house are taking much needed
rest and recuperating for the fight which
is sure to come if the peers do not yield.
The American Turnkey says that Glad
stones description of the functions of the
lords will afford theme for critics like
Salisbury, Earl Grey. and the Duke of
Argyll, but this Tory trio have already
said all they can against Gladstone and
his Home Rule scheme, and their crih-
cism will have no more effect upon hun
and his measure than water has on q
{ uck's back. The Radical and Home
Drlo ,,oDoro -oro ;o;ninn IN tho oh0r,1a nf