pre Tell EDITOR OF THII " SP IMATOR:1 Sin, —Commenting in
the Spectator of the 14th inst. on Mr. Asquith's recent speech at Earlsferry, you quote his reply to a "heckler," that "if by Home-rule is meant the introduction of a Bill for the establishment of a Legislature in Dublin, as I have said before, and will say again, I am of opinion, speaking for myself, that it will not and cannot be any part of the policy of the next Liberal Government." This seems pretty clear ; but you add : "Mr. Asquith went on to say, however, that neither he nor any other leader of the Liberal party, in his belief, had ever gone back either in spirit or letter on Mr. Gladstone's policy." Surely this rider renders the original assertion meaningless, for if Mr. Gladstone did not propose to establish a Legislature in Dublin, of what did his Home-rule policy consist? And yet your only comment is that you are sure that Mr. Asquith's "declaration on Home- rule represents the better opinion' of the Liberal party." If, to venture on a somewhat improbable supposition, Mr. Balfour had been guilty of an analogously contradictory utterance on tariffs, with what justifiably triumphant joy would the Spectator have pounced upon and demonstrated its absurdity !
—I am, Sir, &c., H. C. IRWIN.
[Mr. Gladstone's object was to satisfy the aspirations of Ireland. Most unwisely, he attempted to do this by means of a Bill establishing an Irish Parliament. The present Liberal leaders, though they still keep Mr. Gladstone's object in view, fully realise that it cannot be obtained by any form of Home-rule Bill, or by breaking up the Legislative Union. This means that no attempt will be made by them in the next, or indeed in any succeeding, Parliament to introduce a third Home-rule Bill. As practical people, we are quite content with Mr. Asquith's acknowledgment of this fact. To expect more of political human nature is absurd. When the Unionist party abandon Chamberlainism, as we hope and believe they will we shall not •expect them to abandon Mr. Chamberlain's object of drawing closer the bonds that unite us with the Colonies. We shall be perfectly satisfied with a declaration that they have no intention of making any proposals to alter our present fiscal system, and do not mean to propose the establishment of a Protective tariff.—En. Spectator.]
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