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The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, replied in

a lifeless speech, in which he denied that the experi- ment of governing without a Crimes Act in Ireland had been a failure, and yet had to concede that it was not a success, and that the Government would probably need new powers directly the new Irish Secretary, Mt. W. H. Smith, had made up his mind as to what it would be wisest to ask for. The Government would abide by the Legislative Union of the two countries, and would grant nothing that had the least tendency to weaken that Legislative Union; but they would give a respectful hearing to Mr. Parnell's demands. If the House did not trust the Government, Sir Michael challenged it to say so with all possible promptitude, in which case nothing would please them better than to retire.

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