At the annual meeting of the Grand Council of the
Birmingham Liberal Unionist Association on Tuesday, Mr. Chamberlain reproached the Gladstonians with not seizing on the opportunity which had been given them by Mr. Parnell's disclosures, to declare Irish Home-rule hopeless in face of the ocmfession that even in 1886 the Irish Party never intended to accept Mr. Gladstone's offer as final, but only as the thin end of the wedge by the use of which they would soon be able to ex- tract Much larger concessions. As it is, the Gladstonians are overloaded with obligations to a cause which they cannot win, and which renders it quite impossible for them to carry the other and reasonable reforms to which as a party they are pledged. Even if the Gladstonians could ignore their pledges to Ireland, which they cannot do, they could only propose, with any chance of success, the very pro- gramme of reform to which the Unionist Party are already pledged,—namely, the extension of local government, the further provision for agricultural labourers, free education, reform of the land laws, and reform of registration. The choice, therefore, lies between two parties who, so far as practicable reforms go, accept the same policy, one of them, however, being handicapped by pledges for an impossible Irish policy, from which the other is quite free. The English people will obviously prefer the party which is ready as well as free to push these wholesome reforms, to the party which is hampered by conditions that render their success hopeless.
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