Mr. Redmond has written a very statesmanlike letter, pub- lished
in last Saturday's Times, explaining his position in regard to the Government's legislative programme. Mr. Dillon, he says, is deliberately wrecking the Irish Land Bill. The Government, who have an enormous majority and are quite independent of Irish votes, have decided that the Education Bill and the Agricultural Rating Bill must have precedence of the Irish Land Bill. "We have no power to alter their determination, which means that unless two Eng- lish measures are disposed of in reasonable time the Land Bill will go by the board." All the Irish Nationalist Members are in favour of the Education Bill. The Rates Bill does not concern them. In these circumstances their duty ought to be to facilitate and not obstruct the passage of these measures. The Parnellites have acted on this principle, but Mr. Dillon and his friends have done the exact reverse. "They have voted against every motion to give time to the Government; they have voted against every motion of Closure; they have acted in favour of every attempt by the Opposition to obstruct and delay public business ; and finally Mr. Dillon has identified himself with the small knot of Radical cranks in their efforts last night to kill the Irish Land Bill by extending indefinitely insane discussion of paltry points in the Rates Bill. I am not able to explain this idiotic proceeding. All I desire to do is to call attention to it." The letter ends by suggesting that Mr. Dillon is apparently trying to rehabilitate himself in the opinion of the Nonconformists, "to placate whom Mr. Parnell was destroyed." "If the Irish Land Bill is wrecked, the sole guilt will be at the door of Mr. Dillon." There is no denying the cogency and truth of this letter, and we hope it may not be without effect, as we are as anxious as Mr. Red- mond to see Mr. Gerald Balfour's very able and moderate Bill passed into law this Session. We confess, however, that the omens are anything but favourable.
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