The great length of the Home-rule debate, which cannot be
avoided while every clause involves a remaking of the Constitution, greatly irritates the extreme Radicals. They do not care about the Bill, but about the measures to follow it, and they urge Mr. Gladstone to adopt drastic measures for expediting the passage of the Bill. Hitherto the Premier has refused; and on Thursday his refusal, though couched in gentle and even humorous words, was particularly emphatic. As to the constant use of the Closure he would give no pledge to his followers, hoping, it would appear, that after certain clauses had been got through, procedure would be more rapid; while as to the abolition of the Twelve-o'clock Rule, that would require an addition to the supply of undertakers." Mr. Glad- stone is obviously wiser than his impetuous followers. He is indisposed to give the Lords an excuse for throwing out the Bill, which would be appreciated by the whole country, and unwilling on so great a measure to turn the House of Commons into a mere registering machine. He is, too, probably a little behind his age, and still believes that government by delibera- tion is better than government by the guillotine. It remains to be seen whether his advanced followers will bear with his " effete constitutionalism," or whether, by rushing the Bill in order to get time for their fads, they will risk overthrowing Mr. Gladstone altogether. They forget, we fancy, that when the noughts get in front in the decimal, the more there are of them the less is the total.
