Lord Granville began with a fair joke,—his full agreement with
the Marquis that there was nothing to criticise in the Queen's Speech,—and proceeded to deny that Government was divided about Home-rule. Nobody was for granting Home-rule, and nobody denied that there were local powers which ought to be conceded to Ireland. As for Egypt, he did not see his way to an annexation, which Lord Beaconsfield bad always repudiated (yes, because Lord Beaconsfield, with his strong race-feeling, wanted Syria instead), or to a Protectorate ; while he was cer- tain that if we washed our hands of Egypt, other Powers would intervene. It would be an act of treachery to Egypt to with- draw our troops too soon, but he entirely declined to say how long they were to remain. The British proposals had not been accepted by France, or rejected, but they were favourably regarded by Germany, Austria, Russia, and Italy ; while the Sultan had sent nothing, except an approval of the abolition of the Dual Control. The rest of the discussion raged round Ireland, and that subject in Ireland which specially interests the Peers, the operation of the Irish Land Act. Their point is that the Valuers were dispensed with by Mr. Trevelyan because they were favourable to the landlords.
