The Prime Minister was immediately followed by Colonel Waring, Mr.
Macnaghten, and Mr. O'Neill,—gentlemen not usually prominent in debate. They had not much to say, but that little was important, because they express the average opinion of the Loyalists of Ireland. They maintained that Mr. Gladstone's proposal was equivalent to Repeal, that it handed over the Protestant minority to the Catholic majority, and that it would be better if the separation were so complete that Ulster could defend herself. They rejected the proposal that North-East Ulster should be excepted from the opera- tions of the Bill or formed into a separate Colony, but made no suggestion of their own, declaring that the Ulstermen adhered to the present system, and denied the right of the Imperial Parliament to transfer their allegiance to another body. The unity of tone in these speeches was the more remarkable because Mr. Macnaghten is no Orangeman, but "one of those quiet folk who were content to leave peace and order in the bands of the executive Government." Note carefully that none of them paid serious attention to Mr. Glad- stone's promise in his speech to consider carefully any proposi- tion on behalf of Ulster.
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