Mr. W. H. Smith made a speech at Doncaster on
Monday characterised by unusual plainness and determination. He asserted that in the last Session there had been deliberate obstruction, proving it by figures given elsewhere, one of which shows that Sir A. Peel or Mr. Courtney had to listen to no less than 11,468 separate speeches, most of them foolish,—a torture for the damned. Her Majesty's Government had been told that the process would be repeated, and that no business should pro- ceed until the Parnellite demand had been conceded ; but they were determined that the business of England and Scotland should advance, "even though the will of the minority stood in the way." A Bill for improving local government, for instance, which was not a party Bill, but one required by the whole country, should pass or be rejected. A Land-Transfer Bill would also be proposed, to facilitate the sale of land in small parcels, and so would measures for securing economy in civil expenditure, much of which was forced on the Government by the demands of the people themselves. As to Ireland, Mr. Smith quoted a frightful instance, in which a local Branch of the National League refused by a majority of three-fourths to condemn moonlighting, and a man named Patrick Quirk was consequently murdered. That showed the sort of position the minority in favour of law and order would occupy in a Home- rule Parliament. The Government held tyranny of that kind to be wicked, and that it was their simple duty to protect her Majesty's subjects against it. It was a most clear and manly speech, and was received, we are happy to see, with as much enthusiasm as if Mr. Smith had possessed the eloquence of Mr. Gladstone.
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