17 APRIL 1886, Page 3

An impressive meeting was held at Her Majesty's Theatre on

Wednesday evening, to protest against the Home-rule Bill, —Earl Cowper, the Liberal Irish Lord-Lieutenant of 1880-82, in the chair. It was attended by Lord Salisbury, Mr. W. H. Smith, Mr. Pluuket, and others of the Tory ex-Government, on the one side, and by Lord Hartington, Mr. Goschen, Lord Fife, Mr. Peter Rylands, and others of the Liberal Party, on the other side- The meeting reminded those who were old enough to remember them of the old Anti-Corn-Law League meetings in Drury Lane and Covent Garden Theatres, in the years 184246. Crammed from floor to ceiling with an enthusiastic crowd, and addressed by men of all parties combined for a common purpose, Mr. Bright, had he been there, would have been able to renew his youth. Lord Hartington's speech was thoroughly noble, nor would he allow the crowd to hiss Mr. Gladstone's name, for he declared that Mr. Gladstone was a leader whom he had not only admired and revered, but whom he should always "admire and revere." Still, he could not doubt the duty of joining with the opposite party to avert the great calamity of Dis- union. Mr. Rylands, too, made an effective speech, though Lord Fife was a little tedious. Lord Salisbury made a great hit by asking the admirers of Home-rule to study it, and the consequences of it, in the example of Turkey, who had repeatedly given autonomy first and yielded independence afterwards. Mr. Goschen was singularly impressive, and uttered several sentences which excited the meeting to the utmost enthusiasm, as when, referring to the threats of what might happen if Home-rule were refused, he said that they certainly sent a shiver through us, but the shiver was one not of fear, but of indignation ; further, that if their houses were to be set on fire, Captain Shaw would put the fires out; and if the dagger should be used, Englishmen would still make their wills and do their duty. Mr. Plunket, with his usual earnest and eloquent periods, also produced a great effect ; and on the whole, the meeting was certainly a brilliant inauguration of the national protest against the disruption of the United Kingdom.