The Westminster Gazette of Tuesday stated that a new Home
Rule Bill has been drafted by the Cabinet Committee appointed for that purpose. If anything could surprise us about the policy of the Government towards Ireland, this would surprise us. It is true that Mr. Shortt more than once since the exposure of the Sum Fein plot has said that another Home Rule Bill would be drafted, though he has also said that a Home Rule Bill could not be passed in England to-day after all that has happened ; but, on the other hand, we have to remember that Lord Curzon, as the Mornino Post reminds us, used the following words on June 20th: "To proceed with Home Rule would be folly ; it would not be statesmanship, and it would almost amount to a crime." What has occurred in the meantime to change Lord Curzon's opinion we do not know. But there is, of course, the possibility that his opinion has not changed—perhaps he knows nothing about this new Bill. Possibly, again, though this seems less likely, the Westminster Gazette has been misinformed.
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