On Thursday night the House of Commons was busy with
an Irish debate raised by Mr. Redmond in a speech full of rhetorical fire and fury, but otherwise of little importance. It was, in fact, the conventional Nationalist attack on the Government for maintaining law and order in Ireland. Colonel Saunderson capped this by declaring that the Government had, on the contrary, been far too weak in the administration of the law. Mr. Wyndham in his reply made out, in our opinion, a perfectly good case for the action of the Government. Voluntary purchase, be also declared, held the field. At the close of the Chief Secretary's speech the debate stood adjourned. It is clear that the Nationalists mean to do their best to give us an Irish Session. If the Government and the Unionists of all kinds are wise, they will argue with the Nationalists as little as possible, and while pursuing a policy at once firm and conciliatory on the spot, meet Irish rhetoric at Westminster with amusement and indifference. After all, if the Unionists keep their temper nothing can come of Mr. Redmond's heroics.
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