It was followed, however, by another little splutter from Mr.
Labouchere on the subject of Lord Randolph Churchill's February Belfast speeches, the language of which, on the bringing up of the Report, Mr. Labouchere proposed to censure. Lord Randolph, however, was not to be " drawn." " In vain," he said, "is the net spread in the sight of any bird." The interpretation put on his speeches was, he contended, perfectly absurd ; but he was not going to be tempted into reconsidering and interpreting their language. He should content himself with asserting "that nobody is better aware of the utter worthlessness and emptiness and preposterous childishness of the accusations which have been brought forward than the honourable Member for Northampton;" though what Lord Randolph's speeches meant, if they did not mean an incitement to civil war in certain cases, we at least are " childish " enough to be quite unable to apprehend. Colonel Saunderson wanted to amend Mr. Labou- ehere's amendment by so twisting it as to condemn the violent language of the Nationalist, Party ; but this, again, was resisted by the Government, and after a long wrangle, Colonel Sannder- son's amendment was rejected without a division, and Mr. Labouchere's by a majority of 83. And thus, after twelve full days' debate,--of which about eight were wasted,—the Address was at last finally agreed to.
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