Mr. Gregory,—who, though sitting on the Liberal side of the
House, is a half-Conservative,—he was one of the great political allies of Mr. Jefferson Davis a few years ago,—followed Mr. Butler-Johnstone, and delivered a speech rather less jocose than usual with this gentleman, but chiefly remarkable for adopting Mr. Bright's solution both of the Church question and the land question. The Legislature always treated Ireland, he said, as Mr. Bumble treated the paupers. Knowing what they wanted, Mr. Bumble always gave them something which they did not want, and which was useless to them, and then they did not apply again. The Irish tenant asked for security of tenure, and was offered a complicated system of compensations, which he did not understand, and would not accept. When the Irish asked not to have a " National Church " which did not educate the nation, they were offered a better distribution of the Protestant emoluments amongst Protestants, and a better supply of Archdeacons. Mr. Gregory was opposed to naked disestablishment (asking for Mr. Bright's proposed compromise instead), which he described by a phrase borrowed from Alton Locke as "veers like uniting o' men by just pulling off their claes, and telling them,—' There ye are a brithers noo, on the one broad fundamental principle of want o' breeks.' "
