On the vote for light railways there was more discussion.
But the hostile comments on Mr. Balfour's statement were very feeble. Objection was made to the bargain with the Midland Great Western line for the construction of the Con- nemara railways, which Mr. Balfour showed was perfectly consistent with the Light Railways Act of 1889, and really one of the strongest features of the policy of the Government. Mr. Craig (M.P. for Newcastle) maintained that •he knew better than the Government what the maximum gauge of a " light railway " must be, and he was only stopped in his invective by the moving of the. Closure. This was carried, however, by 146 against 49 (majority, 97), Mr. Justin McCarthy, Sir J. P. Hennessy, Sir T. Esmonde, Mr. Swift MacNeill, and Dr. Tanner being the only notable Irish names in the minority. Mr. Parnell, who was stated to have been at one time in the House, did not vote. Then the reduc- tion of the vote was negatived by 152 to 46 (majority, 106), and the vote was finally carried by 150 against 40 (majority, 110), none of the Irishmen venturing to resist either of the last two votes, and several of them voting with the Government.
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