n to the older
institutions of the monarchy, and not inconsistent with any of the
doctrines which the Tory party had been accustomed to uphold. The
question, in short, was one of those which cut across ordinary party
lines, creating new divisions among politicians; and there might have
been and ought to have been Liberal Home Rulers and Tory Home Rulers,
Liberal opponents of Home Rule and Tory opponents of Home Rule.

But here comes in a feature, a natural but none the less a regrettable
feature, of the English party system. As the object of the party in
opposition is to turn out the party in power and seat itself in their
place, every Opposition regards with the strongest prejudice the
measures proposed by a ruling Ministry. Cases sometimes occur where
these measures are so obviously necessary, or so evidently approved by
the nation, that the Opposition accepts them. But in general it scans
them with a hostile eye. Human nature is human nature; and when the
defeat of Government can be secured by defeating a Government Bill, the
temptation to the Opposition to secure it is irresistible. Now, the Tory
party is far more cohesive than the Liberal party, far more obedient to
its leaders, far less disposed to break into sections, each of which
thinks and acts for itself. Accordingly, that division of opinion in the
Tory party which might have been expected, and which would have occurred
if those who composed the Tory party had been merely so many reflecting
men, and not members of a closely compacted political organization, did
not occur. Liberals were divided, as such a question would naturally
divide them. Tories were not divided; they threw their whole strength
against the Bill. I am far from suggesting that they did so against
their consciences. Whatever may be said as to two or three of the
leaders, whose previous language and conduct seemed to indicate that
they would themselves, had the election of 1885 gone differently, have
been inclined to a Home Rule policy, many of the Tory chiefs, as well
as the great mass of the party, honestly disapproved Mr. Gladstone's
measure. But their party motives and party affiliations gave it no
chance of an impartial verdict at their hands. They went into the
jury-box with an invincible prepossession against the scheme of their
opponents. When all these difficulties are duly considered, and
especially when regard is had to those which I have last enumerated, the
suddenness with which