and his
Government, and chaos come again. And these accidents are always
possible. Death knocks at the door of the families of members of
Parliament as of other people; and often, when one of the great
divisions is pending, the Whips have to consider the grim and painful
question whether they can allow a man to remain by the rack on which a
wife lies tortured, or receive a loving mother's parting sigh. For some
reason or other, Tuesday was a bad day for the Liberals, and there was a
series of ugly and annoying little mishaps. Thus, in the first division,
which was snatched quickly by the Tories, informed by their scouts of
what was going on, the majority sank to thirty-three. This was a bad
beginning, but worse, as will be seen, remained behind.

[Sidenote: Lord Wolmer.]

The Committee was now on Clause 3. This is the clause which contains the
list of the subjects on which the Irish Legislature is not to have the
right to legislate--such questions as the succession to the Crown,
questions of peace and war, foreign treaties, coinage, copyright, trade,
etc. The list is comprehensive enough, but it was not comprehensive
enough for Lord Wolmer; for he had an amendment to the effect that the
Irish Legislature should not be allowed to pass even resolutions on
these subjects. But even his own amendment did not satisfy him. He
amended the amendment by further proposing that the Irish Legislature
should not be allowed even to "discuss" any of these questions. The
speech in favour of these proposals started from the point of departure
common to all the Unionists, namely, that the Irish people were
hereditary and irreconcilable enemies, and that the moment they had a
native Legislature, it would immediately proceed to make alliances with
every Power in the world which was hostile to the British Empire. There
was France; of course, the Irish Legislature would pass a resolution of
sympathy with France in case there was a war between France and England.
Then there was the United States; what was there to prevent the Irish
Executive from sending an envoy to the United States? And so on, through
all the possibilities and all the insanity and malignity of which an
Irish Legislature could be held capable.

[Sidenote: Sweet and low.]

Mr. Gladstone on one or two points was able to overthrow the whole case
so elaborately made up. The Irish Parliament could not send
representatives to a foreign Power, because they could not vote the
mo