Thursday's debate was remarkable only for speeches by Mr. Smyth
and Sir P. O'Brien in favour of the "three F's," the latter denouncing the terrorism of the Laud League in the heartiest way ; a speech by Mr. Rylands, questioning, though not finally condemning, Coercion ; and a very moderate speech of Sir M. Hicks-Beach, who merits, more than any other member of the late Cabinet, the name of a true Con- servative. The whole drift of the debate hitherto is to estab- lish the practical unanimity of moderate Irishmen for fixity of tenure,—a principle steadily advocated by the Spectator during the whole of the land-tenure discussions of 1870,—to a perfectly astonishing degree. Sir M. Hicks-Beach, of course, dreads this principle, and, understanding Lord Hartington's speech as a tacit declaration against it, promises his support to the Government, so long as they abide by the policy of coercion, and in relation to land-tenure, the policy of Lord Hartington.
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