NEWS OF THE WEEK.
YESTERDAY week Mr. John Morley gave notice in the House of Commons that he would move, "That in the opinion of this House, the operation of the Criminal Law and Procedure (Ireland) Act, 1887, and the manner of its adminis- tration, undermine respect for law, estrange the minds of the people of Ireland, and are deeply injurious to the interests of the United Kingdom;" whereupon Mr. Gladstone immediately rose and gave notice that he would on Monday (i.e., last Monday) ask the Government to appoint a day for the debate. Mr. W. H. Smith promptly replied that, recognising fully the character of the motion as a vote of censure on the Govern- ment, he could not comply too soon with the wish of the Opposition, and that he would at once fix Monday for the debate, a cordiality of willingness at which the leaders of the attacking party stood somewhat aghast, perceiving at once that they had made a tactical mistake in challenging to a pitched battle a party perfectly united on the Irish Question, at the very moment when they were discomfited by their differences on the question of local government.
