On Monday, an amendment of Lord Wolmer's empowering the Lord-Lieutenant
to create an executive force in the Irish counties such as exists in the United States for the purpose of carrying out the orders of the Federal Government, was discussed, resisted by the Government,—who care nothing for United States' precedents if their Irish allies dislike them, —and rejected by a majority of 34 (230 to 196). In the course of the debate, there grew up a very warm discussion as to Mr. Dillon's repeated threats of revenge against the Irish minority opposed to Home-rule, in the course of which Mr. Dillon said that one of these threats had been uttered under the irritation of the proceedings of the constabulary at Mitchelstown, though, as Mr. Chamberlain pointed out, the Mitchelstown affair occurred many months after the utterance of the threat. The discussion was resumed on Tuesday, when Mr. Dillon admitted that he had been in error, and Et violent set was made on Mr. Chamberlain by the Irish Party, from which he emerged quite victorious. Indeed, the letter to Mr. Duignan, published in Thursday's Times, confirmed the absolute accuracy of Mr. Chamberlain's statement. On Monday, Mr. Brodrick's amendment defining the powers of the Lord-Lieu- tenant was negatived by only 27 votes (274 to 247).
Previous page
