The debate on Thursday was opened by Mr. T. P.
O'Connor in a lively speech, which showed magnificent unconsciousness of the part he had so lately played as the traducer of Mr. Gladstone's Government,—a part which, however, Mr. Winter- botham, in his excellent speech, did not suffer Mr. O'Connor to ignore ; but Mr. Winterbotham weakened that excellent speech by intimating that there was no reason why the Irish Govern- ment Bill should not be remodelled, and " introduced again in an autumn Session in such a form as to meet with general support." The reason why this is impossible seems to be that if it embodies the wishes of the Parnellites, it will not meet with general support ; and that if it does not, the Parnellite Party will reject it on behalf of Ireland. The one speech of the evening was Mr. John Morley's,—a very careful, thoughtful, and states- manlike performance, proving to demonstration that nothing can work much more inefficiently than existing Irish institutions, and arguing that therefore an insulated system of Irish self- government ought to be tried,—a non sequitur. On the same principle, a doctor might argue that because his patient's health is bad as it is, it would be right to give him sufficient strych- nine to bring on a convulsive arching of the spine. But we have commented on Mr. Morley's able speech sufficiently in another column.
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