The attitude of the Government towards Home-rule has elicited a
declaration of war from Mr. John Redmond. Speaking at a meeting of the Central Branch of the United Irish League in Dublin on Wednesday, he said that the speeches made by Mr. Asquith and Mr. Birrell were "of course very bad, and if anything Mr. Birrelrs speech was worse than Mr. Asquith's." They had gone further than declining to introduce Home-rule in this Parliament, because they both positively declined to give any promise whatever that Home-rule would be in the fore- front of the Liberal programme at the next Election. As matters stood, the Government left it with Ireland to make Home-rule a great issue at the next Election, and this could only be done, not by abstention from West- minster, but by a strong, united, combative policy in Ireland, in Parliament, and in the English constituencies.
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