Widnes Examiner. — 1883-02-24 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE ADJOURNED DEBATE .ON THE ADDRESS.—The adjourned debate on the Address was resumed by Mr. GORST, who criticised the Irish policy of the Government. He asserted that at the time the Prime Minister granted the Arrears Bill, he was really the dupe of an inner circle in the Cabinet, which had also its" No. 1," and that the member for Bradford was the first object of both the inner circle in the Cabinet and the " Invincibles." Until the hon. member for Cork gave an explanation or refused to make a disclaimer, he was willing to believe that he did not know Sheridan's true character. The Homo Secretary had accepted Sheridan as a colleague and associate, and the House had a right to a disclaimer from that right hon. gentleman. He asked the Home Secretary to assure the Rouse that he would have repudiated all connection with Sheridan had he known the part he was taking in the affairs of Ireland.—Sir W. HARCOURT declared that the Cabinet were always agreed that if the imprisoned men would give an assurance for the future with regard to not breaking the law they ought to be let out of prison. He asserted that there was no communication made to the prisoners at Kilinainham except with the full knowledge and under the direction of his right hon. friend the member for Bradford. It was Mr. Forster who gave leave to Captain O'Shea to go to Kil' mainham and communicate with the hon. member for Cork, and that leave was given for the purpose of ascertaining whether the assurances which were to be given were in his opinion satisfactory or not. He denied the assertion that the Government had associated itself with Sheridan, and said he believed that that person had never been in Ireland since the warrant was issued for his arrest. —Mr. GIBSON contended that after all that had come out it was impossible to avoid the grave conclusion that the Cabinet had consented to avail themselves of a criminal organisation and of the services of a man described to them as an organiser of outrage.—Sir W. HARCOURT retorted that the Government did not accept Sheridan. and had nothing to do with him.—Mr. GtasoN then urged that the debate could not come to a satisfactory close without a speech from the hon. member for Cork. He asked for some explanations from the representatives of the Land League on the topic of money. Referring to the recent speech of Mr. H. Gladstone, he said it was a gratuitously mischievous speech, and if he had not been relying upon his name he dared not, as a subordinate of the Government, have made it. In making that speech he was interposing obstacles to the good governmeat of Ireland.—When Mr. Gibson sat down there was a pause, and an apparent expectation that either Mr., Parnell or Mr. ' Forster must speak. Neither rising, the Speaker was putting the question, when Mr. Wharton interposed, and saved the debate. The discussion was continued in a thin House up till half-past eleven, at which hour Lord Randolph Churchill, rising, had a better audience. The noble lord did not, however, equal expectation of. enlivening the debate, and once a pathetic yawn coming from the Conservative benches caused some laughter. Mr. Goschen, amid cheers from both sides of the House, commented severely on the recklessness of Mr. Gorst and Lord H. Churchill in bringing forward a motion of this kind at the present time, when the Government were battling with crime in Ireland, and even before the trial of the Phoenix Park murderers was completed.—On the motion of Sir HERBERT MAXWELL, the debate was, at half-past 12, adjourned.