Mr. Gladstone has returned from the South of France in
ex- cellent health, and the Cabinet Councils have been resumed and will now, no doubt, come thick and fast. The Speaker of last week deals with the difficult points in the Home-rule Bill, suggesting that most of them may be postponed. and ex- pressin its opinion that they should be postponed, but pro- posing to deal very liberally with Ireland as to finance, which we take to mean that Ireland is to be asked to contribute towards the expenses of the Union a good deal less than she was asked to contribute in 1886, by way of equivalent for the disappointment of five years' delay in remitting the Land Question to the Irish Parliament, and conceding to the Irish Ministry the control of the constabulary and the appointment of the Irish Judges. We have said enough on thie forecast in another column, but we cannot accept with any confidence either Mr. 31orley's or the Speaker's minimising views as to the compass of the Home-rule Bill. No doubt for the present Mr. Morley is assuming the attitude of a statesman who is jealous for England as well as benevolent to Ireland ; but till Mr. Gladstone has got his speech well in view, we cannot feel the least certainty that the so-called moderate policy may not be thrown over at the last moment, and a policy fully satis- factory to the Irishmen placed before the country. Neither Mr. Morley's recent speech at Newcastle, nor the forecast of the Speaker, suggests a measure likely to please any one section of the Home-rule Party.
