Yesterday week, the first clause of the Home-rule Bill was
carried by the majority of 42 (309 to 267), after a debate into which a good deal of heat was imported by some Irish Member unknown, who called out during Mr. T. W. Russell's speech," What the devil are you talking about P "—a question which was certainly most inappropriate to the speech, as Mr. T. W. Russell was expressing himself, as he always does, in a most lucid and distinct fashion. Mr. Mellor had some diffi- culty in restoring order in the Committee. At the conclusion of the debate, two Gladstonians,—Sir E. Reed (Cardiff) and Mr. T. H. Bolton (North St. Pancras),—both appealed to the Government to make the supremacy of the Imperial Parlia- ment as clear as possible, and were vehemently interrupted by the overflowings of Irish wrath. Nevertheless, their appeal bore fruit in the debate of Tuesday on Sir Henry James's amendment. No doubt Mr. Gladstone was made aware that Sir E. Reed and Mr. Bolton are supported in their dubious attitude towards the Bill by a good deal of independent Glad- stonian sympathy.
