The House, on Tuesday, also debated Mr. Parker Smith's , amendment
for preventing the Irish Parliament suspending the writ of Habeas Corpus, passing Bills of Attainder or ex. post facto laws. This was, however, lost on a division by 44 (16G. to 122). Mr. Gladstone has thus again insisted that the Irish Parliament shall be able to do what no State in the American• Union is allowed to do. Yet we were told again and again at the General Election that the very most which the Glad- stonians dreamed of giving to Ireland was the powers of an American State. The decision wears a most sinister aspect. It shows that the Nationalists have insisted on having power to pass laws dealing with acts done before the passing of Home- rule. This power will Enable them not only to reward " the- soldiers in the war," but to punish the so-called " enemies of Ireland," such as the police and the Magistrates. It is asserted that no Irish Parliament will want, or will be able,. to pass Bills of Attainder. But if that is so, what objection was there to accepting this part of Mr. Parker Smith's amend.. ment, and so allaying the fears of the Loyalists, who remember that the first thing done by the only Celtic Parliament that ever sat in Dublin, was to pass a gigantic Bill of Attainder 1)* We cannot help regretting that the Unionists did not make a. stronger protest at the rejection of the amendment, which, in. our opinion, is of the worst possible augury.
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