Mr. Stansfeld made a speech at Sydenham to the electors
of Lewisham on Monday. Of his conception of Irish Home- rule, on which we have commented to our readers in another column, we need only say here that, while it goes a long way towards the independence of Ireland, it certainly does not go far enough to satisfy Mr. Parnell; and we do not suppose that the Anti-Parnellites will think it safe to accept any terms which Mr. Parnell vigorously denounces as inadequate. Speaking of the Dissentient Liberals, Mr. Stansfeld said very justly that "great questions were great winnowers," and that the ques- tion of Irish Home-rule had winnowed away the chaff from the wheat. We agree with him ; but where shall we find the chaff, and where the wheat P Surely the chaff is with Mr. Labouchere, Sir Wilfrid Lawson, and, we venture to think, even,—though their chaff may not be quite so chaffy,—Mr. Picton and Mr. Stansfeld. Mr. Stansfeld repeated the cry of Mr. Morley and Sir G. Trevelyan for " One man, one vote," and evaded, as all the Gladstonians do, the much more weighty demand for an equal representation for equal constituencies. He asked for short Parliaments as one of the means for reducing the House of Lords to reason, and, indeed, gave a list of "equipments " for carrying Irish Home-rule which suggest that the first Parliament which the Gladstonians can command will be exhausted in struggling to get themselves " equipped" for the Irish conflict. If so, will not the next Parliament deliberately undo that Parliament's work P The constituencies do not like these elaborate preparations for beginning work.
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