In the evening of the same day Mr. Chamberlain addressed
a great popular gathering in the Huddersfield Town Hall. The backbone of his speech was an appeal, not to the followers of Mr. Labouchere, who are "mere mischief-makers," or of Mr. Parnell, who are " rootedly hostile to this country," but to the "moderate Gladstonians," to consider whether the Unionist remedial policy is not "in every important point a policy which they were advocating until three years ago P They supported it then, why should they not support it now P" After all, Home-rule is only one kind of machinery for effecting certain reforms in Ireland. The very first things the Dublin Parliament would deal with would be the land question, local government, education, and the fostering and promotion of the material and industrial resources of Ireland. But if it would be right for an Irish Para.
ment to do these things, why is i wrong for an Imperial Parliament to undertake them ? Let these matters, then, on which there is a general agreement among all moderate men, be carried through first, and then, if any one still desires a separate Parliament for Ireland, hostilities can be resumed on the old lines. With the speech as a whole we have dealt else- where, and can only notice here that, though it will not effect any actual conversions, it will not make the heavy task of dragging the Moderates after him any easier for Mr. Gladstone.
