The Irish debate of the week has been very intermittent.
Yesterday week, the two speeches of most importance were Sir Thomas Acland's, which promised his vote for the second reading, while it confessed frankly the troublous world of doubts and difficulties out of which that hesitating promise had issued forth ; and Sir R. Webster's (the Tory ex-Attorney-General), which criticised sharply the invitation to Members to vote for the second reading of a Bill which, as it was avowed, was never to get beyond that stage at all. He insisted that a vote for the second reading might well be asked for as a pledge of general agreement, on the understanding that if the Bill issued from Committee in an inadequate form, it might be rejected on the third reading. But now it was proposed to ask for an in- choate approval of a Bill which was not even designed for further consideration and amendment, so that it came to corn mitting the House to an abstract resolution and something more, but how much more nobody could tell.
