tive devices for the
representation of minorities. Less than all this might have been taken in
committee, provided that the government would expressly say before the
second reading, that they would retain the Irish representation on its
existing footing. The repeated offer by ministers to regard this as an
open question was derided, because it was contended that if the bill were
once safe through its second reading, Mr. Bright and the whigs would
probably vote with ministers against Irish inclusion.

Even if this ultimatum had been accepted, there would still have remained
the difficulty of the Land bill, of which Mr. Chamberlain had announced
that he would move the rejection. In the face of ever-growing
embarrassments and importunities, recourse was had to the usual device of
a meeting of the party at the foreign office (May 27). The circular
calling the meeting was addressed to those liberals who, while retaining
full freedom on all particulars in the bill, were "in favour of the
establishment of a legislative body in Dublin for the management of
affairs specifically and exclusively Irish." This was henceforth to be the
test of party membership. A man who was for an Irish legislative body was
expected to come to the party meeting, and a man who was against it was
expected to stay (M122) away. Many thought this discrimination a mistake.
Some two hundred and twenty members attended. The pith of the prime
minister's speech, which lasted for an hour, came to this: that the
government would not consent to emasculate the principle of the bill, or
turn it into a mockery, a delusion, and a snare; that members who did not
wholly agree with the bill, might still in accordance with the strict
spirit of parliamentary rules vote for the second reading with a view to
its amendment in committee; that such a vote would not involve support of
the Land bill; that he was ready to consider any plan for the retention of
the Irish members, provided that it did not interfere with the liberty of
the Irish legislative body, and would not introduce confusion into the
imperial parliament. Finally, as to procedure--and here his anxious
audience fell almost breathless--they could either after a second reading
hang up the bill, and defer committee until the autumn; or they could wind
up the session, prorogue, and introduce the bill afresh with the proper
amendments in October. The cabinet, he told them, inclined to the later
course.

Before the m