11 MARCH 1905, Page 3

No doubt the Irish extremists will be annoyed by thie

utterance. No doubt also it can be said, and truly said, that Lord Rosebery now only speaks for himself. This, however, does not render his words less sound or less important. They draw their importance not from the speaker, but from the circumstance that they are based on facts, and would be true and irrefutable whoever bad uttered them. The country does not mean to permit the repeal of the Legislative Union by the establishment of another Parliament, and even if the Liberal party were foolish enough—which, however, we are convinced they will not be—to pledge themselves to the Irish party to do so, the nation would simply forbid the carrying out of any such pledge.