The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-30
BLUFF OF THE UNIONISTS.
The Humbu8 as Plain as Day to the
GIadStOnianS.


Repudiated at a Subsequent Meet
ing-Lord Randolph Churchill Comes
to the Rescue With Precedents.
London, April 29.-The unionist leaders
plainly were intent upon game of bluff
when they held their first conference at
Devonshire house this week Neither
their resolution at this meeting nor the
similar decision of the Irish loyalsts to
abstain from proposals to amend the
homo rule bill in committee will be fol-
lowed by opposition. The mock hcroics
spoken by the English unionists and re-
peated more dramatically by Col. Saun-
derson and his hre-eaters concerning the
utter, unamendable badness of Mr.. Glad
stones measure were intended for
the provinces and Orangemen, but
lacked the Endorsement Of the men
who fathercd them. The humbug was
apparent at once to the liberals, radicals
and nationalists and evoked abundant
ridicule from the press of the three allied
parties. Even the more earnest members
of the parliamentary opposition depreCa-
ted the folly implied by the declarations
and began Immediately TO call for plan
of action more cOnsistant with the grav-
ity of the issue. Their protests against
covering the attempts of the unionistS
under the palpable mask were so earnest
that at Il second opposition conference the
decision of the first conference, for whose
action the Balfour contingent bore the
responsibility, was virtually, although
not formally, reversed.
FEELING THE PARTY PULSE.
Lord Randolph Churchill, who main
tains his position still in the shadow of
the leadership, had felt, meantime, the
party pulse and was ready with a vast
number of precedcnts to Justify the per-
sistcnt offerings of amendments. The
most impartial instance which parlia-
mentary history afforded him for his pur-
pose was the struggle in the House of
Commons against the first reform bill,
which Lord Randolph described as a
much more ahhOrrent measure than
even the home rule bill. In that
struggle the tory leaders fought for
seventy days, proposing amendment
after amendment and eXhaustiug
the arguments and cloquence of every
speaker in the party As soon as it was
decided to let Lord RandOphs counsels
prevail Mr.. Balfour, Mr.. Chamberlain and
Sir Henry james sat about preparing
motions which will be produced in COM
mittee as amendments indorsed by the
unionistS.
The representatives of the emen Of Ulster
have hastened to execute q somersault
Col. Saunderson presided yesterday at Il
meeting in which they repeated the ma
ncuvers of their tory and liberal unionist
allies, and, with the aid of r. w Russell
carried out Lord Randolph's wishes de
spite some keen opposition. The leader
OF the malcOntcnts was the Marquis of
Londonderry, who urgently admonished
the loyalists that the only ylogical attitude
was one of complete negation and that by
cOnceding the amendability of the home
rule bill they would give the lie to all
their previous utterances against home
rule. He added that the idea that shift
ing their responsibility of the amendment
to the lay members of the opposition was
ridiculous, as every debate and every di-
vision must necessarily be considered
under the guidance of the partys chosen
leaders.
The bill will enter the committee stage
on next Thursday. How long it win re
main there few dare even to predict Al
ready the number OF amendments drafted
is almost 900, although the unionists are
far from exhausting their list the Par
nelites and liberals and radicals viii pro-
pose hundreds of alterations in the bill.
Only the anti-PaInellites have abstained
from preparing motions. They have held
their peace, while the Parnellitcs and n
few liberals have prepared the work for
them.
The Parnellite amendments affecting
the vital portions of the bill have at
tractcd exceptionally strong outside sup
port. Those concerning the constitution
Of the Dublin parliament, the retention of
all 1913 Irish members at Westminster
and the financial clauses of the bill win
be advocated by Mr.. Labouchere and "a
large part Of his radical following, as well
as by Justin Mccarthy and majority of
his anti-Parnellites. The liberals, who
object to giving the Irish members full
timid opposition to the motion that the
Irish representation in the house be left
unchanged II is certain, however, that
Mr.. Gladstone is disposed to as
sent to the amendment in question
as it will conform with the personal
pledge given by him to Justin Mccarthy
and John Dillon. Among the proposals TO
amend viii be a motion that the Irish
parliament shall have no second
chamber. This motion will be re-
sisted successfully by the government.
EXCLUSION OF ULSTER.
Jesse Ceilings, liberal unionist, will be
put up by Mr.. Chamberlain and his inn
mediate colleagues to propose that Ulster
shall be excluded from the operation Of
the bill in case a majority of the Ulster
electors vote in favor of such exclusion.
The Ulster conservatives regard this pro-
posed amendment with distrust and de-
clare that they wish to share the fate of
their Orange brethren throughout Ireland.
The truth undoubtedly is that they fear a
plebiscite in Ulster would show big ma
jOrity for home rule.
The ministry calculate that the enor-
nous and daily increasing number of
amendments will keep the bill in commit
tee for three months, and, consequently,
talk of a winter session has begun al
ready 1t will be impossible for the home
rule bill to reach the House Of Lords be-
fore August Some say it will not leave
the commons earlier than October.
The rejection of the bill, the liberals
continue TO argue, would not lead neces-
sarily TO dissolution, as the government
could proceed with other bills.
At the conservative Carlton Club it is
a matter Of current report that in the
eventuality Of the rejection of the home
rule bill, no such easy way
would be left open to the govern
mcnt, as i'm order to force
an appeal TO the country on the home rule
issue. The lords would defeat without
courtesy Of a debate, every ministerial
measure subsequently sent TO them from
the commons If this plan be followed
next autumn will bring with it another
general election.