Britain should not be asked to assist Ireland in turning
tenant-farmers into freeholders, and spoke of these two boons as amply justifying Liberal Unionists—whose main objection to the Home-rule Bill was the injustice of handing over the loyal minority to the tender mercies of the Nationalists,—in returning to Mr. Gladstone and adopting his specific for Irish grievances. For the rest, Sir George Trevelyan congratu- lated the Liberals on being rid of the Moderates, and gloated over the prospect of passing bond, fide reforms without being pulled up by Lord Hartington, in that (certainly long.distant) day when, Ireland being appeased, and the federation of the United Kingdom disposed of, the Liberals shall have leisure to begin reforming the Peers, amending the Household Suffrage Acts, and disestablishing the Welsh Church. That is certainly a very brilliant prospect, but who would care much for a deferred annuity the payments of which were to begin when the new Constitution was at work ?
