The division showed 67 Members in favour of inquiry and
417 against it,—an increase of three for the Home-rulers since last year and of 126 against them. The English Members who voted for in- quiry were twelve in number,—Mr. Jacob Bright (Manchester), Mr. Burt (Morpeth), Mr. Cowen (Newcastle), Mr. J. Cross (Bolton), Mr. Gourley (Sunderland), Mr. Hibbert (Oldham), Mr. Hutchinson (Halifax), Sir Wilfrid Lawson (Carlisle), Mr. Mac- donald (Sheffield), Sir A. Middleton (Durham), Mr. R. N. Phillips (Bury), and Mr. Rylands (Burnley). Of these the greater number are understood to be unfavourable to Home- rule, though they have conceded inquiry, and Sir Wilfrid Lawson on Tuesday made great fun of the utter confusion of mind of the Home-rulers as to what it was they really wanted, though he advocated inquiry in order to clear up the cause of their discontent. But we fear the cause of their discontent does not really need clearing up. A little of it may be cured by county self-government, but the greater part of it will not be cured till we have a little more assimilation between the Irish and the English race. Alienation of feeling admits of no cure except a final separation on the one hand, or the gradual dissipation of that alien sentiment on the other.
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