On Monday the House of Commons debated the second reading
of the Finance Bill. The most important speech of the day was that of Mr. William O'Brien, who proposed that " Inasmuch as the announcement of this Bill has already done a cruel injury to more than one great Irish industry, and seriously shaken the confidence of the new occupying proprietors as to their future, and as it proposes to impose upon Ireland unjust additions to her already excessive taxa- tion, the Bill be read a second time this day six months." Mr. O'Brien denounced Mr. Redmond and his followers for having " hauled down the flag" and " sold the pass." They had torn up the charter of Irish rights. It had been argued that the Budget should be accepted because Ireland had received the benefit of the Old-Age Pensions Act, but in his opinion that measure was an insurmountable obstacle to Home-rule. There was a worse obstruction than the veto of the Lords. There was the veto of bankruptcy, and it was being interposed by the Nationalists themselves. Ireland would not even have " Home-rule with bankruptcy ; she would have bankruptcy without Home-rule." He was convinced that Ireland would repudiate "the abysmal folly' of Mr. Redmond. After Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Balfour had spoken, Mr. O'Brien's amendment was rejected by 328 votes to 242. The next division on the original Motion yielded the same figures. The second reading of the Finance Bill was thus carried, with the help of the Redmondites, by a majority of 86.
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