tion to present
petitions praying for its amendment. Still their attitude of what
may be called growling hostility has had these important results.
Firstly, it has deadened that general willingness of the liberal
party, which the measure itself had created, to look favourably on
a plan such as they might hope would obtain acquiescence, and
bring about contentment. Secondly, the great majority of the
bishops are even more hostile than the resolutions, which were
apparently somewhat softened as the price of unanimity; and all
_these_ bishops, working upon liberal Irish members through their
political interest in their seats, have proceeded so far that from
twenty to twenty-five may go against the bill, and as many may
stay away. When to these are added the small knot of discontented
liberals and mere fanatics which so large a party commonly
contains, the government majority, now taken at only 85,
disappears....

It is not in the power or the will of your Majesty's advisers to
purchase Irish support by subserviency to the Roman bishops. Their
purpose has been to offer justice to all, and their hope has been
that what was just would be seen to be advantageous. As far as the
Roman catholics of Ireland are concerned, the cabinet conceive
that they are now at perfect liberty to throw up the bill. But
they are also of opinion that its abandonment would so impair or
destroy their moral power, as to render it impossible for them to
accept the defeat. There are whispers of a desire in the liberal
party, should the catastrophe arrive, to meet it by a vote of
confidence, which would probably be carried by a still larger
majority. But the cabinet look with extreme disfavour upon this
method of proceeding, which would offer them the verbal promise of
support just when its substance had been denied.

He then proceeds to more purely personal aspects and contingencies:--

What lies beyond it would be premature to describe as having been
regularly treated or even opened to-day. Mr. Gladstone considers
himself far more tied to the bill and the subject than his
colleagues; and if they upon a defeat were disposed to carry on
the government without him, he would with your Majesty's sanction
take effectual means to provide at least against his being an
impediment in the way of an arrangement eli