The morning call., 1893-04-23
HE NEVER TIRES.
Wonderful Vigor Shown
by Gladstone.
HIS TONIC LIES IN BATTLE.
Though The Fight Was Long and
Arduous, Yet Did He Stand
Its Brunt.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

NEW YORK. April 22.-Harold Frederic
cables to the Times from London:
AT last the thing has been done. The or
deal of the second reading of the home-rule
bill has been passed, and every unit in
Giadstone's composite majority has been
kept in place. This may be taken as q dis
tinct substantial triumph in Itself, and as
making the way almost wholly clear for the
coming Of the final passage of the measure.
This event, they say. bids fair TO be reached
now in December. Why the committee stage
should eat up this prodigious amount Of
time, one asks in vain. The only answer is
that Parliament is in the habit of doing
things in that way.
There was great rush last night after
the big result was declared to get amend
ments on record for committee debates,
and it is understood that they are likely to
number many hundreds. The principal
points of heavy attack, SO far as seen, will
now be the financial clause, the composition
of the second chamber and the question of
the retention of the Irish members at
Westminster.
These are issues on which party lines
will he much broken in the debates. and it
is difficult to predict results. The chances.
however, on the whole, favor some what an
improved monetary bargain on Ireand's
part, no alteration in the second chamber
scheme and the abandonment of the some
what fantastic notion of letting the Irish
members cast their votes on some questions
but not on others.
Uuon this last there has been an un-
usual amount of misunders taudiug and
many imaginative rumors of dlSsension. 1t
has been Zealously reported. for instance,
. =, - -
having the Irish at Westminster at all.
The truth that he and almost every other
radical desires that they shall retain full
membership upon the theory that they will
help force forward a scheme of federation
for Scotland and Wales. l ventured to
prophesY on the night the bill was disclosed
by Gladstone that the final outcome would
be an unrestricted retention of the Irish,
and that seems more probable now than
before.
Last nights division practically ends
formal partisan warfare upon the measure
in the House of Commons. The contests in
the committee of the whole will be waged
in quite a different spirit, each member
pursuing glory on his own hook as indi-
vidual whims or convictions dictate. If The
opposition tries to use the machinery of the
committee for obstruction and waste Of
time there will be now the check of a chair
man who is a Glads;onian and is not afraid
to use closure.
Throughout this whole wearying, anxious
spring campaign Gladstone has taken far
more active part than any one dreamed of
expecting. His lieutenants began with all
sorts of concerted schemes for saving him
labor and inducing him to conserve his
health and strength. The collapse OF these
projects has been eomcal in its complete
ness. l doubt If any other Minister of the
lot has sat cut so many hours of debate as
he.
Certainly none has followed the whole
complex current of wordy argument with
such vigilant. untiring Interest. When
finally mercful providence brought it to a
close at midnight the wonderful old chief
tain sprang TO his feet with as brisk an air
as vigorous man in the thiTtIes and went
with rapid, firm touch over the whole of
the controversy, scoring points right and
left upon the principal critics, TO the de-
light of a crowded cheering house, never
abatng his animation or showing one sign
of fatigue for over an hour.
They say he has consented to try and
spare himself when the committee tussles
begin fortnight hence but it is likely he
will find himself quite unable to stay away
or. being present, to keep still. And after
all it ought by this time to be fairly clear
that it Is the Irish questiOn-and plenty of
(which keeps him in his amazing state of
DhVsiCal and mental strength