The chief interest of Wednesday's debate centred in a passage-of-arms
between Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Bolton. Mr. Bolton proposed to make the Irish Executive consist simply of such persons as her Majesty might think fit, and not as in the Bill, "or as may be directed by an Irish Act." Mr. Gladstone seized the opportunity to tell the hon. Member that he had acted throughout, in regard to the Bill, in a, manner " quite contrary to the instructions he received from the electors when he entered the House." Instructions ! has Mr. Gladstone suddenly adopted the theory of imperative mandato r Mr. Gladstone added that " they might assume that some rays of common sense, which abounded so much in the mind of the hon. gentleman, might prevail even in the minds of the Members, of the Irish Legislature." Later on, Mr. Gladstone offered a very characteristic apology to Mr. Bolton. "A little further consideration led him," he said, "to admit that he thought.- frankly that he was wrong in interposing as he had done between the hon. Member and his constituents. He thought that the remark which be had made in the House was 'ultra vires. He withdrew it and regretted it." Ultimately, Mr. Morley agreed to a modified form of Mr. Bolton's amendment.
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