Yesterday week there was a meeting of the Scottish Liberal
Association in Glasgow, under the presidency of Lord Elgin, who made a speech deprecating any aggressive action against the Liberal Unionists. Mr. Brown, however, who displaced Sir G. Trevelyan as Member for the Border Boroughs, moved a reso- lution of hearty sympathy with Mr. Gladstone "in his desire to secure to Ireland a plan of Home-rule which will satisfy the just aspirations of the Irish people, and will promote true unity and consolidation of the Empire." Mr. Brown made a pretty sharp assault on the Liberal Unionists, and described Mr. Gladstone, in language which Mr. Glad- stone himself would, we imagine, greatly dislike, as a leader whose shoe.latohet Lord Hartington and Mr. Chamberlain are not worthy to unloose. After a discussion, in which Mr. Marjoribanks's denial that there was a single Liberal in the room who wished to put the Liberal Unionists out of the party. was met by a cry of " Plenty of us !" the conciliatory amend- ment was rejected by a vast majority, only nine voting in its. favour, and all the rest approving of the policy of making Home-rule for Ireland the touchstone of the Liberalism of the future. No one seems to have raised the question whether- a plan of Home-rule " which will satisfy the just aspirations of the Irish people, and will promote true unity and consolida- tion of the Empire," is conceivable. We doubt first whether any conceivable plan would satisfy " the just aspirations of the Irish people," unless the word "just" is so defined as to exclude any plan with which they would actually be content,—for as yet,. the Irish people have never been consulted by the Parnellites as to what would content them. And we are quite sure that no- Home-rule plan which satisfied even the superficial cravings of the moment, would "promote true unity and consolidation of the Empire."
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