The Duke of Richmond and Gordon, in a very feeble
speech, insisted that the "leap in the dark," taken in 1867, did not justify a leap "into an unfathomable abyss" now. Lord Jersey remonstrated with the Conservatives for showing distrust of the people, and supported the second reading. Lord Fife, in a speech of considerable ability, taunted the Conservatives with desiring a Dissolution before acquiescing in any popular measure, which he described as falling back on the doctrine of the plebiscite and the mandat imperatif. After various other speeches, amongst which Lord Powerscourt delivered a very striking argument for facing sturdily in Parliament the real strength of Irish popular feeling, and Lord Fitzgerald asked the Peers if they really wished to provoke the people to displays of physical force such as we had in 1832, Lord Dunraven ex- plained how heartily he approved the Bill, and how determined he was to vote for shelving it ; and the Duke of Marlborough denounced the policy of a manoeuvre which is intended only to make an opportunity for an attack on the Egyptian policy of the Government.
