At the same meeting, Lord Hartington made a very forcible
criticism on Sir William Harcourt's remark that the authority of Mr. Gladstone in this country resembles the authority formerly wielded by Cavour in Italy, and that now wielded by Bismarck in Germany. Cavonr and Bismarck, he said, won their authority by bringing together into closer political unity, people of the same language. Mr. Gladstone's claim, if he carries the measure he proposes, will be that he will have weakened that political unity on the plea that unity of heart and sentiment is more binding than unity of political institutions. Lord Hartington exposed the absurdity of the hope that under Mr. Gladstone's scheme the British Parliament could exercise any real influence over an Irish Parliament through a Lord. Lieutenant who would be nothing but the nominal head of the Irish Constitution, as helpless as is an English Monarch to make Parliament pass a single measure which it does not itself desire.
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