Mr. Gibson followed in the same strain, in a vehement
invective against the Government for not adopting more stringent mea- sures in Ireland. He forgot to explain, however, why his own Government, instead of striking at people of whom nobody had ever heard, did not prosecute the leaders of the Land League, who were the real authors of the movement which the Conservative prosecutions were intended to arrest, though the Tory Government was too timid to strike a blow at them. "The leaders of the Opposition had waited patiently, and given a fair indulgence to the foreign and home policy of the Government," said Mr. Gibson, the fact being that their foreign policy was vehemently attacked by Lord Salisbury when the Government was only just formed, and has been assailed most bitterly by him at short intervals ever since ; and that on Irish policy the Opposition did all they could to embarrass the Government last Session, and actually threw out their most important measure in the House of Lords. But in Mr. Gibson's mouth, " patience " means, not "bearing," but "bearing-down ;" and indulgence, the self-indulgence of scornful language and contemptuous action.
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