On Friday week, the discussion on the Fourth Clause of
the Home-rule Bill, refusing to the Irish Legislature the right to make any law "whereby any person may be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law," was again con- tinued, and Mr, G. W. Balfour moved an amendment to add after "due process of law" the words "in accordance with the settled principles and precedents of judicial procedure, un- alterable by legal enactments other than those of the Parlia- ment of the United Kingdom ;" and Sir Charles Russell gave extreme offence to the Irish Party by accepting so much of the amendment as was contained in the words "in accordance with settled principles and precedents." Mr. Sexton divided against the concession of the Government, all the Irish Members and a few Radicals following him, the amendment being carried by a combination between the Unionists and the Government, by a majority of 180 (324 to 144). Mr. Clancy made a vehement protest against the concession, the Bill as drawn having been the very minimum that, in the opinion of the Irish party, the Irish people could properly accept ; and Mr. Sexton commented with still greater severity on the " unaccountable fatuity of the course of concession lately pursued by the Government." On the question that the words agreed to by the Govern- ment should be embodied in the Clause, the division gave a majority of only 145 (310 to 165). On an amendment by Major Darwin to prevent the Irish Legislature from passing Acts of Indemnity to cover illegal proceedings of the Adminis- tration, the Government would make no concession, and the amendment was negatived by a majority of 38 (258 to 220). On an amendment of Mr. H. Plunkett's ,securing the Civil servants against arbitrary dismissal, Mr. Morley, though re- sisting the amendment, intimated that something might be done to effect Mr. Plunkett's purpose when they came to Clause 28; whereupon there was another outburst of Irish wrath, and Mr. Clancy told the Government that "that was a point on which the Irish Members would admit of no conces- sion." The amendment was negatived by a majority of 42 (253 to 211).
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