The diecussion of the clauses affecting the treatment of the
Irish Civil servants, and the conditions of their service, their dismissal, and their pensions, was continued on Wednesday, when the most important of the divisions occurred on the question raised by a new subsection of Mr. Morley's, whether the Committee appointed to determine difficult questions, arising during the transitional period of five years between the Civil servants and the Irish Executive, should consist of two members appointed by the British Treasury and one by the Irish Government, or, as Mr. Sexton proposed, of two on each side. Mr. Bartley pointed out that if the present Government continued in office, probably all three, whether appointed by the British Treasury "or by the Irish Govern- ment, would be of the same way of thinking, in which Mr. Balfour agreed ; but Mr. Sexton suspected the Government of wishing to carry anti-Irish Treasury nominees by alliance with the Tories, which was very unkind of him, and very un- grateful to Mr. Gladstone, who has shown no disposition of the sort. Finding, however, that the Unionists would support the Government, Mr. Sexton had no scruple in dividing against them, the result being 131 votes for Mr. Sexton's amendment, and 298 for the subsection of the Government as previously amended by the Government,—majority, 167.
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