In Monday's and Tuesday's debates on the second clause of
the Home-rule Bill, the discussion turned almost exclusively on the meaning to be assigned to the supremacy of the British Parliament. On Friday week, Mr. Victor Cavendish had in a speech of some distinction, proposed that the powers dele- gated to the Irish Legislature should be specifically enume- rated,—a proposal which Mr. Chamberlain supported with his usual force, but which Mr. Gladstone rejected as being unwel- come to Ireland without conciliating the English Opposition. Mr. Gladstone did not intend to limit the local subjects left to the Irish Legislature, but only to enumerate all the Imperial subjects withheld from its consideration. He did not want England to treat Ireland as a small boy is treated by his parent who allows him a trifle in the way of pocket-money, but only a trifle. He wished to be liberal in his allowance to the Irish Legislature of the power of dealing with all domestic subjects. Mr. Victor Cavendish's amendment was negatived by a majority of 47 (275 against 228), in spite of the votes of a few Radicals for the amendment. Certainly the Tory voters have not been ardent in their attendance. On another amend- ment the Closure was carried by a majority of 72, and the amendment itself was rejected by a majority of 65; and Mr. A. Cross's amendment limiting the Irish Legislature to some- thing like Private-Bill legislation, was rejected by a majority of 45.
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