At Bradford on Thursday, Sir Edward Grey, speaking on Home
Rue, said that the Government having put their hand to the matter were, as the Prime Minister had said, bound to see it through. Let there be no mistake about that. But they would infinitely prefer to see it settled by the consent of the people. The use of force must be disagreeable, but there was one thing worse—the abandonment of Home Rule. It would plunge the British Government into the old days of coercion which they were determined not to have again. Sir E. Carson's speech showed, at any rate, that there was a disposition on the part of the other side to find some way out of the difficulty. But the Parliament Act was not made to be hung up on the walls cif the Constitution. If a general election were granted, an Opposition could demand an election on any question, and if defeated be no worse off than before. If that were going to be the procedure, he would rather have the old Honse of Lords. He thought that though a settlement was most desirable there was no need for hurry. If there were an outbreak by the Protestants against the Catholics in Ireland, clearly the Government would have to make use of the full forces of the 'State. The doors which were open sa Ladybank reniained open, but if these doors were to be entered the Opposition must come a little nearer to the Liberal point of view. There was still plenty of time.
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