On Thursday, Lord Elcho made one of his fierce onslaughts
upon the Bill, alleging that it enacted not only the three 1■''s," but the "one R,"— simple robbery,—or what might, perhaps, be bettor styled the "two R's,—" Robbery wrapped up." The Prime Minister had bantered Mr. Bonamy Price on his tendency to reason ant a theory for Ireland jest as he would for the planet
Saturn, but the reference to Saturn was not happy, as the most notorious Ailing about Saturn was that Saturn had a habit of eating his own children, and that was what Mr. Gladstone waa preparing to do in 1881 with his principles of 1870. He was embarking on that course of sentimental statesmanship which t aded "for party purposes on the predatory instincts of men." The result of this legislation would be to make' but one blade of grass grow where two grow before ; and worse still, the Government, with their eyes open, were, " walking themselves, and driving the nation, into the grave which was being openly and avowedly dug by the honourable Member for Cork for theinterment of the unity of the Empire." In that simile, Lord Elcho got into difficulties. The grave dug for the unity of the Empire insist have been a very big one indeed, if the Government could drive the nation into it as well ; and in point of fact, what the Government are doing is this ; in the grave dug for the unity of the Empire, they are burying not the unity of the Empire, but the bad tenure-law of Ireland. Mr. Charles Russell spoke in reply, and his defence of the Bill,, though rather legal and technical—which was necessary, in a. reply to Mr. Gibson—was very effective. And at a later period of the evening, the Attorney-General for Ireland spoke on the- same lines, though with much less ability than Mr. Russell.
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