Lord Randolph Churchill, who resumed the debate on Thursday, delivered
a very effective speech. He denied that there was any excuse for the Bill. Even Ireland herself seemed to be of that opinion, inasmuch as, instead of increasing the Home-rule majority at the last election, it had been diminished by 5; and in the capital, where the new Parlia- ment, if it ever came into existence, would sit, two seats had been gained by the Unionists ; (Lord Randolph said nothing of the seat gained in South Dublin County). He declined to regard this Bill as contemplating anything but a repeal of the Union. The very essence of the Act of Union was the consolidation of the two Parliaments into one, and that it was proposed to undo. There never was a more disunionist proposal. The Parliament was to be split into two; the Administration was to be split into two ; and, beyond all belief, even the House of Commons itself was to be provided with two. separate majorities, one majority as it is when the Irish vote is included, and the other majority as it is when the Irish vote is excluded. Mr. Redmond had expatiated on the use which the iniquitous Tory Government might make of the veto. He (Lord Randolph) had a remedy to suggest. "They should, induce the right hon. gentleman t& insert in his Bill a clause, a carefully drafted clause, prohibiting for ever the existence in the future of a Tory Government." As to the financial proposals of the Bill, he did not think them very promising. The same arrangement had been made for securing the Customs by the Argentine Government, with the result that bankruptcy was never written "in bigger letters." Lord Randolph did not venture to contemplate that the Govern- ment majority of 40 would melt away in the House of Com- mons ; but the House of Lords would defeat the Bill, and the country would provide against its resuscitation.
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