The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-14
GREAT DAY FOR IRELAND,
Gladstone Introduces the Home Rule
Bill in the Imperial Parlia-
Ment.
Supports the Measure in a Mas
terly Argument Lasting
Two Hours.
Explains in Detail tho Fundamental Prin
oipies Underlying tho iil-Memorable
Day In Parliament.

LONDON, Feb. 13-Gladstono slept vel
last night and woke refreshed, anticipating
with pleasure the exertion Of the day ir
connection with debate on the home rule
bill. From early morning the scene around
the palace yard at Westminster was of the
most animated description. crowds assem-
bling to witness the arrival of memb bers
At noon the inner lobby was packed with
members ana the approaches crowded.
When the doors were opened there was a
disoroerly rush for seats, tho members
shouting aud struggling like . crowd OF
excursionists. A venerable member, Caleb
Wright, WAS borne down and trampled on
and with difficulty resoned Gladstone ar
rived at $3.50. was greeted by prolonged and
enthusi iastic cheers by the liberal and Irish
he rose to introduce his home rule bill
there was another demonstration lasting
several minutes.
Gladstone spoke as follows in q clear
strong. resonant voice: II may. without
impropriety. remind the house that the
voices which have usually pleaded the
cause of Irish self government in Irish
affairs have, within these walls during the
past seven years. been almost entirely
mute. IIetutn therefore to the period ot
1886, when proposition of this kind was
submitted on the part Of the government ol
the day. and beg to remind the house OF
the position then taken by all promoters Of
these measures. We said We had arrived
at point whore the roads parted. You
have. We said, to choose one or the other.
One is the way Of I'ish autonomy. accord
ing to the conceptions have just referred
to. Tho other is the way of coercion.
That was our contention. II may be in the
| recollection OF the house how that conten-
tion was most stoutly and largely denied.
1t was said over and over .agoin BY many
members of the opposition that we
adopt that alternative, and neither can We
adopt it, Ministerial ohsers. That as
| sertion of theirs was undoubtedly sus-
tanned by the proposal, especially from the
dissentiment of the liuerals, Of various
plans, of dealing with Irish affairs.
short in the principle and the scope of IrisL
self government, yet were Of no trivial OF
mean Importance. They went far hey ond
what had heretofore been usually proposed
in the way Of local self government 10,
Ireland. Well. what has been the result OF
the dilemma as then rut forward on this
sidc OF the house and repelled by the
choice lay between autonomy and coercion
been justified or not? Liberal cheers !
What has become of each and all of these
i'm ortant schemes for giving Ireland self
government OF her provinces and giving
her even central establishment in Dublin,
;tl> skol
thin air. but the reality remains. The
roads arc still thore.
Autonomy or cosroion-the choice lay
between them. and the choice made was to
repel autonomy and embrace cosrcion.
You cannot nlways follow coercion in an
absolutely uniform method. For the first
time coei cion was imposed on Ireland in
the shape of permanent law added to the
statute book. This state of things con-
stituted IN offending against harmony and
a distinct and violent breach Of promise
on the faith of which the union obtained.
That permanent system of repression in
ficted upon the country was a state
of things which could not continue
to exist. 1t was impossible to bring the
inhabitants of the country under coercion
into sympathy with the coercing power. :"
Gladstone proceeded to dilate al length
upon the circumstances under which the
net of union passed, the promise Of equality
in laws and commercial equality under
which union was effected. 1t was then
Irishmen would tskc their places in the
cabinet Of the United kingdom, but it had
been his honored destiny to sit in cabinets
with no less than aixty to seventy states
men, OF whom only ons the duke of Well
inRton. was an lrishman, whilo Castler euRh
was the only other lrishman who had sat in
a cabinet since the union. Pitt promised
tn1 luNc han fta f<,,,
broken promises nude to Ireland were un-
happily written i'll iudslible characters in
the history OF the country. Coming TO 1882
when resurrection OF the people began.
thence down to 1880. Ireland could present
only small minority i'll favor of storing
to her something in the nature of constitu-
tionsl rights and practical self government.
ut is to mo astonishing that 30 littls
weight is tsohed by msnv to the fact
that before 1856, before 1885 indeed, Irish
wishes rs to 6elf-govsrnment we're repre-
sented only by n small minority. Since
1885, when there was a wide extension of
tie franchise, protected bv secret ballot,
Ireland's osition had been improved in
parliament. In 1886 there were eighty five
nationalists. or more than tivs-eighths.
[Cheers. They had been reduced from
eighty-f five to eighty under circumstances
somewhat ocular. Hear! Hear! and
must frankly own to myself, among others.
for reasons totally ana absolutely unlntel-
ligible. Loud cheers.
Let us look at the state of the case as it
now stands. Thoge arc but eighty out of
100-that is to say, the wishes of Ireland for
Irish government i'll Irieh matters is rep
resented only by four iitths. Laughter
The honorable gentlemen seem to have no
respect for such majority as that. Do
they rscollsct, Sir. that never in England
has there been such ma ajority? Cheers
No parliament within thu last fifty years
has come within moasursabls distance of it.
Ii there be anything in the great principlec of
self government, which, if il be q reality,
never can work except through the ma
chirery and laws of representation. At
any ratio. the voice Of the irish people, the
prrsistsncy of the isL people in deliver
ing that voice. and peaceful constitutional
circumstances under which il has been de-
liver ed rninist rial chssrs and opposition
laughter constitute a u eat feat in history.
''lt Ia sAid. nnd admit with truth, that
Ireland ia not n united county. l don't
deny that the division whioh exists IL a
fact OF great moment. In truth. wsre Ire-
land united, anything that can render Ire.
land 10 midsble wound become much more
position would vanish AZ shadow. Hear!
Hoa,!l l Gland ia not united in this sense.
that III ono portion OF the country not
mere ma jo ity OF the higher GLASSES. but
popular feeling. 10 opposed to
tho present national movement, will
not attempt to measure the numerical
strength of the minority. IL IL said by ths
patty opposite that tho minority in tho
north OF LELAND Ia arrayed in unalterable
opposition TO home rule. unhsppily At the
uuccsssful instigatien of those whose plot