In the House of Commons there commenced a remarkable debate
lasting three nights, in which Mr. Gladstone was the only spokesman of the incoming Government. Not one of his colleagues spoke,—neither Sir W. Harcourt, nor Mr. John Morley, nor Mr. Henry Fowler,—a11 maintained a strict silence, as if some very strict mot d'ordre had been issued. On Monday, after an interesting speech from Mr. Barton on the state of Ireland, and a speech from Mr. W. H. Cross, Mr. Asquith moved the vote of want of confidence in the Government, which he rested simply on the very undeniable fact that there is a clear majority of the House of Commons who do not trust the present Government. As to the assertion that the majority was constituted by the Irish vote, it was just as much constituted by the Welsh and Scotch votes ; and it was not within the legitimate right of Unionists to analyse separately the separate vote of the three Kingdoms, and to treat the United Kingdom as only Separatists could treat it, as if that Kingdom were not united. Besides, though England gave a large majority against Home-rule, that majority was greatly diminished, and had it not been greatly diminished, the majority on the other side obtained in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, would have been overpowered. Mr. Asquith triumphed over the Liberal Unionists for having dropped from 94 to 47, and accused the Tories of having abandoned their traditional policy, and gone in for "a mass of peddling and hysterical legislation." Is all Liberal legisla- tion then hysterical, or is it only hysterical when it is peddling P Mr. Burt, in a moderate speech, seconded the amendment.
