Then Lord Salisbury fell upon the Government for their Irish
policy. He held the Government guilty of the change for the worse in Ireland since the Conservatives went out,—not, indeed, of the whole change for the worse, but of a great part of it ; first, for not renewing the Coercion Act ; next, for stimu- lating, by their Compensation Bill of last Session, the most dangerous and lawless of the Irish tendencies ; lastly, for not calling Parliament together, and asking for new powers. He declared that Mr. Gladstone was not likely to be satisfied that the present powers of the Government were insufficient, because " he kept his eyes steadily shut." And he accused the Bir- mingham Members of the Government of unconscious willing- ness to prolong the prevalent disorder, in order that their Irish Land Bill, when it came, might not "fall very flat," as it would do, especially if it contained confiscatory clauses, if it came at a time when there was no disturbance in Ireland. To these candid remarks Lord Salisbury added a promise on behalf of the House of Lords that it would do its duty, as it had done, in protecting the country against confiscatory legislation. Lord Salisbury evidently wishes to prepare his party for an appeal to the country on the subject of the Irish Land Bill.
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