The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-14
Gladstone's Eloquent Plea for
His Grand Scheme.
ITS CHIEF POINTS OUTLINED.
Self-GOvernment In All Matters Prom.
erly Irish and No Constabulary.
Prince OF wales and BFitish Dukes
Listen to the Premiere Brilliant
Speech - Tho Scramble for Plaoo
when the House Opened.

LONDON, Feb. 13-Gladstone slept we'll
last night and awoke refreshed, artici-
pating with pleasure his exertion of the
day commencing the debate on the home
rule bill. From early morning the sceno
around the palace yard at Westminster
was of the most animated description,
great crowds having assembled to witness
the arrival of the members. At noon the
inner lobby was packed with members
and the approaches were crowded. When
the door was opened there was disorderly
rush for seats, the members shouting and
struggling like mob Of excursionists.
The veteran member. Caleb Wright, was
borne down and trampled upon. With
great difficulty he was rescued. Gladstone
entered the house at $3.50 O'Clock and was
greeted with prolonged enthusiasm by the
Liberal and Irish members.
Among the distinguished audience in
the house were the Prince of Wales, the
Duke of York and the Duke of Teck. On
the table at Gladstone's side Law the pre-
miers familiar iozenge pot. an item i'll all
his long speeches, and the presence of q
lamp to aid his failing sight added pathos
to the scene Gladstone started otf In
slow and measured voice. but his voice.
though fine at the start, weakened mani-
testify. He recovered his voice somewhat
during the peroration, which was re-
markably fine and impressive. At the con-
clusion of his speech, which occupied two
hours, Gladstone was overwhelmed with
congratulations.
Throughout the time Mr.. Gladstone was
speaking. Balfour. Goschen. Chaplin, Bart
lett and other prominent members Of the
opposition listened intently and took
copious notes. Lord Churchill sat alb
sorbed on the front opposition bench,
stroking his beard necessarily. Justice
Harlan, of the United States supreme
court, in conversation with Gladstones
secretary. declared the entire speech fault
less and the peroration the most beautiful
in pathos he had ever heard.
At 3:45 O'Clock Gladstone arose to intro
duce his home rule bill. and there was an
other great demonstration. He spoke as
follows:
I NAV. without improprissy. remind the
house that the voices which usually pleaded
tho cause of Irish self-government In Irish
affairs have, within these walls during the last
seven years, been almost entirely mute. ] re-
turn. therefore, to the period OF 1885 whom .
proposition OF this kind was submitted on the
part Of the government of that day. and beg to
remind the house of the position then taken BY
all the promoters OF these measures. We said
We had arrived at point In our transactions
with Ireland whore the roads parted. 'You
have" We said. "to choose one or the other. Ono
il the way of Irish autonomy, according to tho
conceptions have just referred to: the other 10
the way Of coercion, that arises out of conten.
tion." 1t may be within the recollection Of the
house how that contention was most st0utiy
aud largely denied. 1t was said over and over
again by many members on the opposite side:
1--WE are not coercionists: We do not adopt that
alternative and neither can We adopt It," Min
isterial cheersl That assertion of theirs WAS
undoubtedly sustained by the proposal, espe-
cially from the dissentment OF Liberals. of vari-
Gus plans for dealing with Irish affairs. These
plans. though they fell entirely short in princi-
pie and in the scope OF Irish self-goverIment,
yet were of no trivial or mean Importance. They
went far beyond " nat had hitherto been usually
proposed in the way Of local self-government
for Ireland.
Well, what has been the result OF tho di.
lemma az than put forward on this side of the
house aud repelled by the othersf Has our
contention that choice lay between autonomy
AMI coercion been justified or not? Liberal
cheers.1 What has become of each and all OF
these important schemes for giving Ireland
self government in each OF her provinces and
giving her even a central establishment in Dub
lin with limited powers? All vanished into
thin air, but the reality remains. The roads arc
still there leading to autonomy or coercion. Tho
choice lay between them, and the choice made
was to repeal autonomy" AMI embrace coer.
cion. You can rot always follow coercion in
IN absolutely uniform method. For the first
time coercion was imposed on Ireland in tho
shape of n permanent law added to the statute
boos, and this state OF Things constituted an Of
tending against harmony and the traditions OF
sclf government. and was a distinct, violent
,x,ft ffsaf nf tvh tbss
union was obtained That permanent system Of
repression inf eteG upon the country state OF
thugs which could not continue To exist IL
Was impossible to bring the inhabitants OF tho
oouutry under coercion anu into sympathy with
the coerc Oh power
Gladstone proceeded to dilate at length
upon the circumstances under which the
act OF union was passed, the promise Of
equality in laws, ana commercial equality
under which the union was effected. and
continued:
II was then prophesied confidently that
Irishmen would take their places ia the cabinet
Of the United Kingdom, but 1t had been his hon.
o-ed Destiny to sit n caoinets with no less than
sixty 10 seventy statesmen, OF whom only one,
the Duke Of Wellington. was an Irsshinan. whiio
Castlereagh was tine onlyotner lrishman who had
sat n the cabinet since the union. Pitt prom
lsed equal laws whsa the union was formed,
unhapplly written in iudeiibe characters In
the history OF the country. Coming to 1892,
when the resurrection OF the people began,
thence down 10 ls,1, Ireland could present only
q small minority in favor OF restoring 20 her
something in the nature Of her constitutional
rights and practical seif-goverumenL Il
is to me astonishing that 30 little weight az
tached by many To- the fact that before is8j
before 1850, Indeed Irish wishes OF sell govern
ment were represented only by small minority.
since 1885, when the wide extension OF the fran
cnise was p-opagatod by the secret ballot, Ire-
lands position has been improved in pariia.
Iaent. go that in l-e5 there were eghty-h'e Ma
tionaIists. or more than flve-eigh;as Of sl! the
members lCheers.l Bat they have been 70.
duced IRON eighty i've 10 eig0ty under circum-
stances somewhat peculiar. tiear, heArl and
l must frankly own 20 myself, among "thers. TOT
a reason totally and absolutely unlnte.igibie
loud cheersl Let tus look at the state OF tina
esss as il low stands. There are Dur eighty OUT
Of 100: that is 70 say. the wishes OF Ireland ior
Iri.h government in Iris n matters Is represented
only by four-fiiths lisughterl, out the honorable
gentlemen sceIa 70 have no respect Tor
sueh a maj 3r.ty tha. Do they recoi-
Iec, air that u yer in the history oi England
ha, ,here been su n a majoIlsy, lCheersl No
narliarneuE OF the las; city years has come
within rneasuraole distance OF il
II there be anything ia she great principle OF
.sIfgayerumeus " hich. II . b. reality, never
ran work excers through tas macnluery aud
law. Of ,euresentatlon. AZ any rate the voice OF
the Irisn people. and the persisseney OF the
Iyi.h r,soo.e IN delivering thss voice and the
pe.celul constitutional circumstances undos