Michael Davitt on Saturday made a speech in Manchester marked
by much ability and total irreconcilability. He denied that landlordism was essential to British supremacy in Ireland, the fact being that it was the weakest point of British rule, as being the one most easily attacked,—a great truth, which comes oddly from a Nationalist's mouth. The Irish people. he affirmed, had determined to be done with landlordism; aud Mr. Glad- stone's " temporary expedient " of fixing rent, though it might delay the movement, would not extirpate it. Landlord and tenant must be legally divorced, instead of being turned over to the lawyers. He believed that the Protection Bill was really intended to arrest the further public action of Ireland towards the abolition of landlordism,—an absurdity, as it cannot prevent the Irish electors from sending up 100 Members pledged to the expropriation of the soil. Mr. Davitt strongly condemned out- rages, but thought it unjust to charge their commission on the Land League, " whose cause they had greatly injured." Nothing was said of separation, but the whole speech indicates that Mr. Davitt seeks the establishment of a peasant proprietary, and believes, with Mr. Litton, that they will be hostile to any con- nection with Great Britain.
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