The Telegram. — 1893-04-18 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

THE HOME RULE DEBATE. ANOTHER APOLOGY!  The longer the debate on the second reading of the Home Rule Bill is continued, the more clear are the justice and sufficiency of the measure being demonstrated to the intelligence and coalition sense of the country. If it were not for the fact that so much precious time is being wasted, which might be applied in effecting much-needed reforms for England, Scotland, and Wales, we should be quite content to have the debate prolonged to two or three weeks. But the Opposition have made it as clear as noonday that their object is simply to waste time to such an extent as to make it impossible for the bill to be got through committee in time to give the Lords sufficient time to consider it this session, and thus to prevent its passing into law this year. This transparent dodge ought to be utterly frustrated by the Liberal party in the House of Commons, and Mr. Gladstone.'s reference to a possible suspension of the 12 o'clock rule on Tuesday night, and to the prospect of the House having to sit until September or October, show that the Government are fully alive to the requirements of the situation. We therefore look for the division on Tuesday, or at the latest Thursday next, when the second reading will undoubtedly be carried by the full majority of the Government. During the past week the debate has been carried on by uuofficiol and ordinary members on both sides of the House, but there have been several notable speeches, which alone would make the occasion memorable. We refer to the speeches of the three Irish members—Mr. Devitt, Mr. John Redmond, and Mr. Blake—and to the powerful speech ot Mr. Asquith, on Friday. Mr. Davitt's speech was described by the Daily Chronicle as " golden," and the epithet was well deserved, for seldom in the history of nations has there been a more striking illustration of the conversion of an enemy into the most hearty friend of a nation which he has regarded as the oppressor of his country. Mr. Davitt frankly avowed that he had been a robel against England in the belief that there was no other means of obtaining independence or justice for Ireland, but Mr. Gladstone's measure of Home Rule has taken away all his hatred of the ruling country and made him a thorough friend ot the Engli,h people. Cynical "Unionists" may sneer at the " union of hearts " of which this remarkable change in Mr. Davitt is an illustration, but in so doing they practically sneer at the meet fundamental  and vital doctrine of Christianity—the duty to love one anothPr. Mr. Davitt's manly but pathetic eloquence seems to have made some impression even upon the "philosophic doubt" of Mr. Balfour, for we are told that the Tory leader was angry, as well he might have been, at the unseemly ititek.uption of the speech by one of his supporters. The same aethority we have quoted above considers that Mr. Davitt's speech will influence twenty votes in the division. This is a very saoguine opinion, but upon a highminded and generous assembly of British and Irish gentlemen such a speech ought to produce a great effect for good. The brilliant argumentative speech of the Home Secretary was interrupted in a manner which was disgraceful to the Tory party. Mr. Asquith nas referring to Mr. Davitt's speech, when Lord Cranborne, the son of Lord Salisbury, was heard to say that Mr. Devitt was a murderer. The Speaker's attention was promptly called to the expression, and be at once called upon this promising young " nobleman " to apologise to the House, which he readily did. It is lamentable, apart from fliers party considerations, that one of the two greet parties in the State, who pride themselves upon being the "gentlemanly " and the " intellectual" party, should be so often guilty of such gross and vulgar offences against those rules of good manners and good taste which are recvnisecl even by the humblest classes in the kingdom. Such offences ought to be reprobated by all intelligent Conservatives who are not mere bigots and blind partisans. But they certainly strengthen the party against which they are committed, and raise more than a suspicion that those who resort to them have "no case," and know they are playing a losing game.  The Town Council and St. Sr. "MARY'S Mary's Vestry are quite Cu (TUCK in a fix on the question of