The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-07
PLEADS FOR HOME RULE
MIR. GLADSTONE MOVs ITS SECOND
READING IN THE HOUSE.
The Great Commoner Makes n Mastery
Plea for the Measure-The Reply
for the other Side.

House of Commons were full, but the
House itself was not crowded when Mr.
Gladstone arose at AS p. NJ to move
the second reading of the bill TO establish
home rule in Ireland.
Mr.. Gladstone said that the Government
had no intention OF amending the bill
as presented except in some minor par
ticulars. He earnestly desired to bring
home TO the mind of the House the ques-
tion OF when this great controversy was
to end. (Cheers) He did not address
the question 10 the opposition In spirit
OF assumed superiority, but he would
rather press ii earnestly upon their
hearts and understandings as matter
in which both sides were equally inter-
ested. For many years the question OF
Irish home rule had blocked the way Of
legislation. The Liberal party had offered
a solution, but when they asked their op-
pOnents where all this was to end, they
rarely obtained an answer Certainly the
opposition had not yet ventured to point
out a process whereby the greatest OF
Irish questions should be decided apart
from the way in which the Home Rule
bill proposed TO decide it. (Cheers) Mr.
Gladstone proceeded with a historic de
velopment Of the rise and the causes OF
the demand for Irish home rule.
He said that the progress OF events
in the past century had proved the fallacy
of the argument offered by the opponents
OF home rule that time and patience
would see Ireland paciied without spe-
cial legislation. Never was there a ume
when the Irish people were so near to
acceptance of the union as during the
first twenty-nlne years after the act OF
union had been passed. and the reason
WAS not because they loved II, but be-
cause they were trodden under Iool
They wished for peace, and they had 10
genuine representatives I'm the lmpeIldl
Parliament As soon as the voice OF ire
land was heard in Parliament the constr
tutional movement for selt-goVernhsh.
commenced. and 1t had never ceased, ana
would he continued until self-goyernment
should be granted TO all unions Dut one
nrineiple can be applied, and that IS
whether they require permanent mann
tenance by force. IT, when the force
disappears harmony remains, tne union
is good II the maintenance OF the union
hy force. actual or In reserve, Is heceS-
sarv. the value OF the union is question:
able. .o..,o,
Mr.. Gladstone referred to the retentloh
of the Irish members in the imperial Far-
lament During the last sixty years, ne
said twelve instances had occurred OF
cabinets being displaced by a vote OF CEN
sure Amongst these instances there was
not n case where the question al issue
WAS purely British, eight having peeh
imperial and four Irish questions There-
fore he thought, less inconvenience ought
10 be expected from Irish members voting
on the Irish questions than had been an
ticipated. Regarding the question OF
finance. Mr.. Gladstone admitted that It
1i9eDfqnglN
finances of countries associated for the
last ninety years. Il could not be done In
any way free from inconvenience, but
the trouble was mere dust In the balance
compared with the vital importance or
the great purpose Of aiming at the real
union Of the two countries and the con-
sOlidation OF the empire. The bill care
fully guarded the possibility OF increasing
imperial expenditure, whereof Ireland
ought 10 pay her share IN the event or
war and other causes. II the House was
not satisfied with the security offered under
the existing finance clauses Of the bill, he
was ready 10 deal freely with the question
and to recast the clauses objected 10.
Until a recent period the question be
tween Great Britain and Ireland had been
one betVeen class and nation. Now IL
was between nation and nation. There
was no more melancholy spectacle on
earth than the spectacle OF wrong inflict-
ed by one nation on another. on the other
hand ther was nothing nobler than TO
see a nation deliberately set upon the
removal Of injustices and deliberately
determined TO break with whatever re-
NAMED
The rejection OF the Home Rule bill
was moved by Sir Michael Hicks Beach
president Of the Board of Trade in the
last Salisbury Cabinet. He taunted Mr.
Gladstone with having made long excur-
slons into Irish history when he was eX-
pected TO answer the multitudinOus criti-
cisms Of the bill. Since the character Of
the measure had become known, the
most intense antagOnism had developed
against it. In a large part Of Ireland
the people were irreconcllaby opposed TO
all the details. as well as to the principle
OF the bill. The North Of Ireland rang
with protests against the prime minis
ter's agitation, and would not even pause
in his retrospect 10 answer the argu-
ments of the men behind IL. The prime
minister had said that the Home Rule
bill had been before the country seven
years This was not true. Before the
hin was introduced last February only
the yaguest statements as 10 It's pro-
posals had been made. The assertion
was made frequently that Ireland demand
ed Home Rule, that her electors had
accepted Home Rule. This was ohly
partly true. The majority OF Irish cleo
tors had demanded and accepted IT, but
a large and determined minority had
decided TO have none OF II. Nevertheless
admitting a unanimous sentiment In Ire
land for Home Rule, the proposal for the
dissolution Of the union was rejected by
the other party to the bargain The
majority Of the electors Of Great Britain
were convinced that Parliament once
persuaded to take t.e fateful step now
proposed, could never retrace It without
plunging the country into the horrors OF