Yesterday week was occupied in the House of Commons in
a series of wrangles between the Government and the Irish Members with respect to the Irish Administration,—the excuse being the various votes in supply for Irish purposes. These wrangles were inaugurated by a violent speech from Mr. Biggar, in moving the reduction of the vote which included the salary of the Secretary of State for Ireland by the amount of Mr. Forster's salary, which elicited an implied rebuke even from Mr. Parnell. Mr. Parnell's speech conveyed, indeed, a sort of tribute to the ability and the honourable intentions of Mr. Forster, but was intended to show that the ablest statesman in England could not discharge the functions of Secretary of State for Ireland without utterly breaking down, and this for the simple reason that England cannot do for Ireland what Ireland could do for herself. Mr. Parnell made the vote an occasion for appealing to the Government to extend very largely the local liberties and self-governing powers of Ireland by the legislation of next Session, the only step which could, he said, relieve the House of Commons from being dragged into every dispute between the majority and minority of the Irish people. After this remark- ably moderate speech, the language of some of the Irish party became more violent than ever, Mr. A. O'Connor speaking of the " execration " in which Mr. Forster's name was held, with an unction almost sensual. No doubt the best men are often worse hated than far inferior men,—in great measure because they can- not be despised by their opponents. But we should be surprised to find that under a genuinely Home-rule system, the first Irish Home Secretary was not even more bitterly hated in Ireland than Mr. Forster.
