Mr. Labouchere made a speech at Manchester on Wednesday, which
appears to represent the newest type of Radicalism. He said that Manchester has exported goods to all the world, and political principles to all parts of the Kingdom. The "Man- chester school of politics" was only the Radical school of to-day. He (Air. Labouchere) was one who loved to recur to the wisdom of our ancestors. Now the wisdom of our ancestors had given Ireland a separate Legislature, and he thought the wisdom of to-day would consist in returning to the wisdom of our ancestors. It was vain to try to convert Irishmen into Englishmen. He held with Mr. Gladstone that it was the classes only who resisted the cry for Home-rule. Because Home- rule succeeded in Canada and Australia, it was reasonable to sup- pose that it would succeed in Ireland. Protestantism in Ireland, Mr. Labouchere went on to say, with his usual amiability, is not a religious, but a political creed, and is a detestable creed. It is there to cover "envy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitable- ness." As to the land question, Mr. Labouchere holds that landlords' rights are tenants' wrongs. If we would only leave the settlement of the land question to an Irish Parliament, we should find such a Parliament establishing many useful pre- cedents which he trusted the British Parliament would follow. Mr. Labouchere then went on to declare himself for free educa- tion, retrenchment, and non-intervention. Bulgaria ought to concern us no more than if Bulgaria were a province in the planet Saturn, He then declared for Disestablishment and Dis-
endowment, for the reduction of Ministerial salaries, and for the abolition of the grants to Royal personages, a recommenda- tion loudly cheered. He would abolish all indirect taxation, and raise all the revenue from direct taxes, abolish the House of Lords, and persuade the House of Commons to have triennial Parliaments. But important as all these revolutionary changes were, "Home-rule was the real question of the day."
Previous page
