Mr. Balfour replied that throughout the election emphasis had been
laid by members of the Government entirely upon the prejudice they had raised against the Upper House, and everything else was thrown into the background. Therefore Ministers were open to a just condemnation. " What the country decided upon was not Home Rule—what they had before them was not Home Rnle—what was present to their minds, what moved their votes and stirred their passions was not Home Rule." One proof of this was that there were two rival schemes of Home Rule. "If the country, at the General Election, knew that they were voting for Home Rule, they must have known which of these two rival and absolutely inconsistent schemes they were voting for." In conclusion, Mr. Balfour declared that there were none of the Govern- ment's supporters who would not view with the utmost dis- trust the result of putting the issue of a detailed scheme of Home Rule alone to the test of a General Election. The amendment was defeated by 284 votes to 190.
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