On Monday, when the Irish question was resumed, Mr. W.
E. Forster, in the course of an apology for the Govern- ment's Irish proceedings, elicited that though the Government had given power to the Local Government to relax, for the Irish Guardians of the Poor, the restrictions against out-door relief, the Local Government Board had not used its power, and the Irish Guardians had not relaxed these restrictions ; that no stores of food and fuel had been accumulated, only warnings given that they might be needed at short notice; and that, in short, all the Government had done was to get ready for get- ting ready to give help, not to get ready for giving help itself. In spite of this evidence, the Opposition leaders did not see sufficient proof that the Government had delayed too long, though they thought they had incurred the full respon- sibility of having waited too long, if it should subsequently turn out that death or epidemic disease had resulted; and on Tuesday night the amendment condemning the Government was rejected, by a majority of 150 (216 votes against 66).
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