ent is over. The bill could not be expected to survive a public
examination. The Gladstonians themselves must now see that the scheme
was not only absurd and impossible, but iniquitous. Under a Home Rule
Bill their native land would cut a sorry figure, such as would almost
shame the milk-sop Radical party, 'friends of every country but their
own.' A Government with a sufficient majority to carry a British
measure might at any time be turned out of office by the eighty Irish
members, who could at any time make their votes the price of some
further concession. And you know the character of the men, how
thoroughly unscrupulous they are. All are enemies of England, and yet
we who know them and the feeling of their constituencies are asked to
believe that they would never abuse their powers. Why give them the
temptation? Then, whatever debts Ireland might incur England would
have to pay, should Ireland repudiate them? The bill provides that
England shall be ultimately responsible for three-quarters of a
million annually for the servants of the Crown in Ireland, such
servants being at the orders of the Irish Legislature. It is a divorce
case, wherein the husband is to be responsible for the wife's debts
incurred after separation. This is Mr. Gladstone's fine proposition.
And then England will have no police under her control to make
defaulters pay up. You can't make the people pay rent and taxes with
all your present force. How are you going to collect the two or three
millions of Ireland's share in Imperial expenditure without any force
at all? The police will be at the orders of the Irish Parliament,
which will be returned by the very men who will owe the money. 'Oh
yes!' say Dillon, Healy, O'Brien, and all the rest of the No Rent and
Land League men. 'We'll see that the money is paid.' The previous
history of these men ought to be enough for Englishmen. But if Tim
Healy and Co. wished the money to be paid, they would have no power.
They must take their orders from the people. How would you collect the
interest on the eighteen or twenty millions Ireland now owes? The
police and civil officers would, under a Home Rule Bill, be the
servants of the Irish Government, and would have no sympathy with
England. A hitch would very soon arise between the two Parliaments
either on the interpretation of this or that clause, or else because
the Irish Parliament fell short of its duty in collecting the tribute.
The Irish Government would