Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-05-08

The passage of the Home Rnlc bill to
second realizing Is decisive triumph for
Mr.. Gladstones policy. The majority Is
forty three. With only nineteen member
Absent. In this division of a nearly full
! House party lines we're strictly followed
| Every nionist voted against Home Rule.
/ EyerS Liberal and Nationalist accompanied
| Ir. Glad stone into the lobby. result
which | Mon sis have ntidently assumed
for the last tselye months to be absolutely
( hopeless as accomplished before their eyes.
1 The Gladstone government commanded the
Gnbroken support Of R,dieals and National
| ists The Home Rule bill was passed to
the committee stage by the same majority
which had received the sanction of tht
| electors IN the general election. The pop
/ ular mandate on the main issue dividing tine
parties of the day was respected by Mr.
| Giadstone's followers and allies without
| dissenting voice.
| II will now be the prime ministers ar
duous duty 10 steer the Home Rule bill
! through the committee. This will be one
of those feats of political dexterity for
which he is fully equipped by experience
and habits of mind. General principles
/ have determined the second reading; the
/ bill will now have to be taken up in de-
tail and subjected to minute analysis The
/ Nationslsts and Radicals, who have l0yaly
supported him, will now emb .rrass hin
/ with amendments, and the | nlomists will BE-
I on the alert to take advantage of every de-
lection. No other leader could succeed in
carrying the bill through the committee :,
/ but We cont 'ently expect that Mr.. Glad
stone will avoid shipwreck and bring hi
| Home Rule craft into safe waters. He is
always at his best III the exposition of com
pick details. The fexibility of his mind
enables him to discriminate sharply between
essentials and non-essentials in matters Of
principle. and to adapt himself with marvel
lous facility to the conditions of debate and
criticism. 1t is not unlikely that the bill will
be materially altered in committee, but WI
consider its final passage by the Common,
to be a foregone conclusion. The Lords
will then reject it. and thereby greatly
strengthen Mr.. Gladstone's control over hi,
Radical supporters. Agitation against the
privileged legislative class will be power
full lever for forcing upon Parliament the
establishment of a separate Parliament in
Dublin.
The closing speeches in the debate dis
closed the fact that nothing new is to be
said about the general principles of coer
cion and Home Rule. Mr.. Balfour and
Mr.. Gladstone were both at their
best. but 80 thoroughly has the
Home Rule issue been discussed in and on,
of Parliament during the last seven years
that the leaders are no longer able to invent
fresh phases or to introduce novel argu-
ment. The Home Rule question has liter
| ally been talked out There never was a
clearer justification for closure of debate
| While the ways and means of CARRYING out
| the principle of legislative autonomy NAV
be discussed in detail during the next
month the general principle has been au-
thortatively affirmed BY the Commons on
the second reading. The moral effect OF
such victory as Mr.. Gladstone has won in
bringing ont full. unbroken vote of the
! Home Rule ma joritv cannot be anything
bnt permanent and decisive. There is the
record of constitutional majority of forty
three in favor of separate Parliament
after a general election in which Home
Rule was the main issue. II commits
Great Britain to the policy. After that de-
| liherste affirmation of the principle of Home
| Rule, coercion bills and Unionst eompro-
misses are out of the question. Home Rule
sanctioned in principle as it has been hy the
Liberal party, the people of the United
| Kingdom and majority of the Commons
is an experiment that must be tried