On Wednesday the Irish Members had the debate to them-
selves, Mr. Dillon opening the debate with an amendment intended to represent to the Queen that the present Govern- ment, by refusing to propose any scheme of self-government for Ireland, had aroused the deepest discontent in Ireland, and bad thereby added to the difficulties of both its foreign and Colonial policy. Mr. Dillon made an extremely acrid speech, denouncing the Government for having alluded to Ireland only twice in the Queen's Speech, comparing them to the greatest possible disadvantage with the Government of the Transvaal, declaring that Lord Salisbury had insulted Ireland in that same passage of his speech to the Nonconformists in which Sir William Harcourt said that he had insulted President Kruger, and taunting England with having backed down to the United States so soon as President Cleveland showed his teeth. Farther, he scoffed at the Government's pro- posed Irish Land Bill because it was to be a " non-contentious " measure. So far as we can see, the more non-contentious it is,—as the Gladstonians favour a strong measure,—the more likely it will be to please the Irish. Mr. Dillon also condemned strongly the expenditure on the Navy unless, he said, Ireland should get a fair share of the cash. Mr. John Redmond 'seconded the amendment in a much more moderate speech ; and eventually Mr. Gerald Balfour replied in a speech firmly refusing, on behalf of the Government, to give any sort of countenance to Home-rule, and expressing his doubt whether the Irish people cared much about it, seeing that the people of Mayo had received him so cordially, in spite of his declared opposition to Home-rule.
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