This speech has elicited two replies,—one from Mr. Parnell, in
a speech in Dublin delivered on Tuesday, one from the Birmingham organ of Mr. Chamberlain. Mr. Parnell simply answered by a threat. If self-government were refused to Ireland, the Irish Members would render all legislation impos- sible to Great Britain. He ridiculed the idea that the Rthicals, the Bradlaughites, the Local Optionists, the Deceased Wife's Sisters, could unite for any length of time on any policy in order to thwart Ireland. " I am not much given to boasting, and I should be very unwilling to assume to myself the role of a prophet, but I am obliged, I suppose, to-night, to give you my candid opinion on this matter ; and it is this, that if they [the English and Scotch Members] have not succeeded in squelching us during the last five years, they are not likely to do it during the next five," unless they suspended Irish representation and governed Ireland as a Crown Colony, which Mr. Parnell held to be impossible. After claiming for the Irish Party the power of obstructing all legislation, Mr. Parnell threw out incidentally that the share in the representation at Westminster conceded to Ireland at the Union was a " sham share." What does he mean ? He must choose between the two statementa,—that Ireland can obstruct all legislation at Westminster, and that her representation is a " sham." To make both assertions, as he does, is the performance of that hitherto impossible feat, eating your cake and having it too.
