HOME POLITICS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11609, 11 August 1892, Page 2

HOME POLITICS.

+ [By Eiibotbio Telegraph— Copyright.] MR GLADSTONE SPEAKS. (Per Pbess Association.) London, August 9. In the House of Commons, in moving the Address-in-Keply to tbe Speech from the I hrone, Mr Barton asserted that the Liberals had not a workablo majority, and they were afraid to declare their policy, . A petition has been lodged against the return of Mr Davitt for North Meath. Mr Gladstone, speaking on the amendment to the Address-in-Eeply, said the electors had exclusively decided the question on which the appeal had been made to the country, and he denied that Home Rule had been earned by an Irish majority. There was, he said, no ground for distinguish ing between votes for the purposes of invalidating the decision of the country, and he thought it would be quite time to criticise the policy of the Government when it came into offiee. That tho evicted farms were still tenantlpss was, he contended, proof of the total failure of the Irish policy of the present Administration. He hoped that the evicted tenants' difficulty would be settled in the auturrn by voluntary arrangement, but as to giving a pledge to grant an, amnesty to political offenders, that could not bo done until he entered office. Parliament had bequeathed a heavy task in, the amendment of principal measures,'' especially the lrisn Land Act of 1877. The Coercion Act, he thought, ought to bo removed from the Statute Book, and he stated it was impossibe to say what a new Government would submit to Parliament six months hence. He mentioned, that the claims of Ireland had for years been to the fore^frout in battle, and the Home Kule Bill which he proposed to introduce would provide for the full and effectual maintenance of Imperial supremacy, while at the same time transferring to Ireland the conduct of local affairs. He adhered to the opinion that it wrs the "duty of a Liberal Government to elect the best form to bo adopted for the maintenance- of Irish representation at Wost : " minster, but how he could not answer until placed in a position of responsibility. When the Home ' Kulo Bill was sent up to the House of Lords its members would nevar have to decide a question of greater moment to tte JDmpire and t'> ihsnuolves. If the Bill was rejected lie diil not think the policy of sending up a measure year after year politic or juat. The Liberal Government he said would not regard the rejection of the Bill as terminating its duty, but next year it woujd bo their business to call the attention, if not of the whole, yet of the sensible portion of the British public, to the country's wants. The Hon. A. J. Balfour, replying to JJr Gladstone's remarks, said the Government had followed the precedents of 1811. ■ and 1895 and these were the best pre- • cedents because they wore dealing with a: party having three separate forces, each with a different leader. He taunted Mr Gladstone that his majority depends upon his allies, who were also his masters. The Government he claimed had a right to point out the nature of that alliance, which was a Nationalist Party who had been squared, and a Nationalist Party tvho had not been squared. He asserted that any attempt to govern Ireland by the ordinary law would be a failure. The Hon. Mr Balfour insinuated that Mr Gladstone had obtained the support of the Irish members by promising the release of tho prisoners Daly and Egan. He scouted tho motion of inquiry into the question of the evicted tenants, who, if roofless had tbe Opposition to blame. As to the Homo Kule Bill, he was not at all surprised that the Liberals had not revealed its details, because they did not know the details themselves, and he argued that if Mr Gladstone's Party carried out half their promises they would make themselves a spectacle for the world. It was said that the Government had not the confidence of the House of Commons, but he pointed out Mr Giadstono's confidence was thai; of a slave to his master, whom he knev ho could force him into doing anything however ignoble.