And on Tuesday, when the Irish Home-rulers met, no such
resignation appeared to be contemplated ; but Mr. McCarthy, we understand, held his peace, because, we are told, he was uncertain from minute to minute what Mr. Parnell (who him- self, however, knew from Mr. Morley Mr. Gladstone's decision) would do. Mr. Parnell was re-elected the leader of the party, and accepted the office without uttering a word on the subject of Mr. Gladstone's threat. When the letter to Mr. Morley came out, the agitation amongst the Parnellites was extreme. At first it seemed as though the hive were going to swarm, and to crown a new king. Thirty-eight,—or, according to Mr. Michael Davitt, only some twenty-five,—of the eighty-five Members are understood to have declared against Mr. Parnell at the earlier of the two meetings of Wednesday; but Mr. Parnell was immovable, and would not resign. At the second and smaller meeting, a reaction set in in favour of Mr. Parnell, and rumour says that forty-three of those present now declared for Mr. Parnell, while only seventeen voted against him. Mr. Parnell's disposition to accept no dictation from the Liberals as to the guidance of the Irish Party, probably recommended itself to his followers as a natural corollary of Home-rule principles, and induced the waverers to doubt whether Ireland would approve their hesitation after all the resolutions of unabated confidence in Mr. Parnell which had flowed in from Ireland. The second meeting of Wednesday was adjourned until Monday next, in order to give time for an exchange of tele- graphic communications with Mr. Dillon and Mr. O'Brien.
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