There was a curious comedy in the House of Commons
on Tuesday night, one of those scenes which indicate that the Legislature is losing its sense of responsibility and political fitness. In the absence of the leader of the House, and of most of the Ministers, except Sir George Trevelyan, Mr. Dalziel, M.P. for the Kirkcaldy Burghs, moved a resolution in favour of Scotch Home-rule. He expressed his gratitude to the Government for proposing a Scotch Grand Committee, but pointed out that that, even if carried, would only shorten the Committee stage, and leave it still in the power of the House of Commons to defeat all Scottish reforms, however urgent. The Scotch Members, he showed, desire by very large majorities (in the case of "rights of way" by as many as 52 against 10), reforms on which they are outvoted by Members who are not representatives of Scotch public opinion ; and even the Seotsman,—a paper opposed to Home- rule,—has said that further " devolution " could not possibly be long delayed. Mr. Augustine Birrell, M.P. for West Fifeshire, seconded the motion in a lively speeqh, indicating rather a, determination to be jocose than to meet the objec- tions to this disintegrating policy. Mr. J. H. Lewis, M.P. for the Flint District, supported the motion, avowedly because he thought all the arguments for Scotch. Home-rule would equally apply to Welsh Home-rule ; and because he was quite as indifferent to the danger of stimulating the centrifugal forces
of the political sphere, as the Scotchmen themselves. Sir Charles Pearson, M.P. for Edinburgh and St. Andrews Uni- versities, represented in a vigorous speech the complete failure in the only Home-rule Bill we had had, to secure "the power and supremacy of the Imperial Parliament," which Mr. Dalziel professed his wish to secure, and pointed out that in 1891 the interest taken in Scotch Home-rule was so slight that the House was counted out on the evening on which it was dis- cussed. And then, to the great surprise of everybody, Sir George Trevelyan, whose motion for a Scotch Grand Com- mittee was still under discussion, jumped up and declared that he should vote for the motion, though the Government as a Government, took no part in the discussion. Pending. the decision of the House on his own official proposal, he was quite ready, as an individual, to back a proposal quite different from and quite inconsistent with it.
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