Mr. Gosohen commenced a very spirited reply by observing that
Sir William Harcourt had avowed his intention to initiate a criticism of exaggeration by magnifying to the highest degree everything faulty in their policy. He had, in fact, chosen to hold a brief for the National League, instead of speaking as ex-Home Secretary, under the sense of his old responsibility. Mr. Goschen showed that Mr. Harrington, who had been trying to give the National League a good character to-day, had quite recently (on July 17th) congratulated a meeting of that League on having taken up the work of the old Land League and pursued it in the same spirit,—a curious testimony to Sir William Harcourt's former assertion, an assertion which he now ignores, that the National League is the apostolic successor to the Land League, and is developing the Land League's treasonable work. He called attention to Mr. Dillon's boast that if any Irishman ventured to desert the League now, he would render that man's life unhappy, and harped upon it, to Mr. Dillon's intense anger,—for he interrupted Mr. Gaselier; in the most unseemly manner. The Chancellor of the Exchequer further quoted a' resolution of one branch of the League, that tenants who refused to join other tenants should not be allowed to enter the parish church ; and he insisted that, under the National League's code, friendliness became a crime, charity a crime, and every Christian virtue a crime. Mr. Healy replied in a speech which declared that the League is the friend of the poor and has the blessing of God, and that the Government might as well attempt to suppress the Atlantic Ocean as to suppress the League. The division showed a majority of 78 for the Government (272 against 194).
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