On the same day, there was an immense assembly in
the Guildhall at Plymouth, to hear Lord George Hamilton, Mr. Leonard Courtney, and Sir Edward Clarke speak on the same subject. Mr. Courtney's speech was perhaps the most effective of the three. He dwelt especially on the protest of the Irish Quakers to which we called attention last week, and pointed out in what sober but forcible terms these men " of simple and almost austere lives" spoke of the evils they expected from Home-rule. Mr. Courtney denied altogether that the United Parliament had neglected Ireland. It abolished Catholic disabilities, and long before any system of national education could be introduced into England, established one in Ireland. Then came the Encumbered Estates Act, and the establishing of the Queen's Colleges. In 1869 the die- establishment of the Irish Church, and in 1870 the first Land Act were passed. It was in 1885 that Mr. Gladstone turned aside from his wise Irish reforms to follow this false quest of Home-rule. And long before the present time, if he had not made that mistake, we should have had Ireland and England alike furnished with a working system of county government and of private Bill legislation. On Wednesday, again, Sir Henry James made a vigorous speech at Nottingham, and Sir Michael Hicks-Beach at Bristol, on the same great subject. Assuredly, the constituencies cannot deny that the Unionist leaders have done their best to put the issue plainly before them.
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