Mr. Labouchere, who is gone to Marie/lima s —whether paired or unpaired,
we do not know,—has written a letter to the chairman of the Radical Association at Northampton which has in it some of the ring of a political farewell. Mr. Labouchere frankly admits the very unconstitutional charac- ter of the guillotining process. He admits that many of the separate clauses of the Home-rule Bill involve not only highly controversial matter, but matter so important that in ordinary times they would have required separate Bills to pass them. He is greatly against rushing the Estimates through Parlia- ment by the liberal use of the guillotine. Indeed, be poses as the candid friend of the Government,—a friend so candid that they will be disposed to regard him as a, foe, and to rejoice in the necessity which impels him to drink the Marienbad waters. Ho desires to see the Session closed soon, carrying over Bills in which progress has been made to the next Session, — to open the next Session early in the autumn, dropping Home-rule for that Session, and devoting the time of the House to the Newcastle programme, That is just what the Unionists ought not to allow. To hang-up re controversy of this critical and overwhelming importance when it has once been fully opened, is not fair to the people of this country, and would draw a red-herring across the Irish scent,—which is precisely what Mr. Labouchere desires to do
Previous page
