Wednesday's debate included three remarkable speeches, that of Mr. W.
Saunders (M.P. for Walworth), who, though a Home-ruler, intends to vote against the Bill because it intro- duces a second Chamber for Ireland founded on a property qualification to which he cannot reconcile his Radicalism, and who prefers full-blown Federalism,—the worst and most gratuitous of all the disintegrating creeds,—to this Bill; and two remarkable speeches from Irish Unionists, Mr. Renton' (M.P. for East Down) and Mr. Plunkett (Dublin County Southern Division). Mr. Rentoul, who is a Conservative Ulster- man, made a very humorous and an exceedingly moderate speech, in which, frankly accepting Mr. Sexton's statement that he is no longer inspired by hatred of England, he en- dorsed Mr. Courtney's suggestion that Mr. Sexton might well become the Irish Secretary of a Unionist Government. And Mr. Horace Plunkett made an exceedingly wise speech, in which it was evident that he kept the material and social prosperity of Ireland in view as the guiding principle for Irish policy. He felt assured that the development of in- dustry in Ireland, the fostering of technical education, the bridging of the dividing rivers (like the Boyne water), the spreading of mutual tolerance between the Catholic and Pro- testant Churches, could never be secured under Home-rule, and could and would be secured by the return to power of such a Government as the last.
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