At the banquet of the Irish Parliamentary Party, held in
Dublin last Monday, Mr. Parnell made a speech, partly of self. congratulation, but still more of exultant prophecy, in which he declared that the triumph of his policy and the restoration of the Irish Parliament was at hand. Although the Irish Party, he said, had never refused good measures for Ireland, so long as they did not involvethe sacrifice of their ultimate end," yet we have always got before us that we were sent from this country, not to remain long in Westminster, but that it was for us to look upon our presence there as a voluntary one, and to regard our future—our legislative future—as belonging to our own native country of Ireland." After marvelling, as he well might, that it should have been possible for his country "to have found such sons "—as, for example, Mr. Biggar, Mr. Callan, Mr. Arthur O'Connor, Mr. O'Brien, and others,—he declared that it was no longer a question whether Ireland should have self-government, bat only "a question as to how much of this self-government they will be able to cheat us out of." As to the future, he and his colleagues " ought not to be very modest in the present position of affairs." They would not dictate to the constituencies, but they might
fairly claim the right of consulting with the constituencies and recommending to them,—evidently with a certain authority,— the men they ought to choose. When they were chosen, there would be but one object for their labours,—to obtain the restora- tion of the Irish Parliament,—in other words, legislative inde- pendence. When that was done, Mr. Parnell proceeded, "we shall require our new Parliament to do those things which we have been asking the British Parliament to do for us,"—and in this new Parliament Mr. Parnell trusted that he should not be cambered by an Irish House of Lords. All this looks to us a little premature,—a habit of mind new in Mr. Parnell. He has not hitherto indulged in the habit of counting his chickens before they are hatched. Perhaps it betokens that be is just in the mood to kick over his basket of eggs.
