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TERRIBLE FIRE IN LONDON

I CRICKET. I

IN PARLIAMENT.

EXTRACTS.

A WINDFALL FOR A SERVANT.

CLEVER CAPTURE. BY A BOY.

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THE CHOLERA. -

WHY LORD ROSEBERY IS A HOME…

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WHY LORD ROSEBERY IS A HOME RULER. In the course of his magnificent speech in the House of Lords on the Irish Bill, Lord Rosebery said May I give two other reasons which make me a Home Ruler at this time, reasons which have been used by the Opposition as arguments against this bill? The first is a phrase that is constantly used, "The dismemberment of the Empire." A more meaningless phrase was never invented (Ministerial cheers). It is because I wish to avert a practical dismemberment of the Empire that I stand before you in support of Home Rule to-night. What I fear is that if we do not arrive at some such scheme as we propose we shall have chat practical dismemberment by having Ireland sullen, discontended, and rebellious always at our side. The other ground is that of for- eign policy. I am not at all sure that the Opposition are not right in saying that foreign Governments dis- trust the proposal for the establishment of a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland, but I put that down, with all respect to any distinguished representatives of foreign Powers that may be present, rather to that ignorance that all nations have of other nations than to any valid argument against our bill. At present to make room for English and Scotch reforms you must have a scheme of some sort. When we go out the eighty Irish members will not go out. They will temain with you. I remember what the former policy of the noble Marquiq was, "Twenty years of resolute government;" but how are you going to get your twenty years of resolute government ? You may have your Coercion Bill, you may have your u J 10 not hetiitate to shoot"; bnt your best foreign policy is to give Ireland something worth defending —(Ministerial cheers)—to give her something that no liberating country can offer, and to give her institu- tions she values. Now I come to another question. What do you propose ? Have you any scheme ? If you have a scheme which will effect the objects we desire, I venture to say it will find a friendly reoep. tion on these benches. We are only too anxious to get Ireland out of the way. We have some 25,600 or 30,000 troops in Ireland in time of peaoe. What force should we want in time of war ? I will asked one more question. If we are engaged in a European war what would be the point the enemy would first attempt to reach P It would be, of course, Ireland. In the face of the gigantic armies of the Continent not 25,000 or 30,000 or even 100,000 men would pre- vent the invasion of Ireland. To attain your twenty years of resolute government you will have to set the democracy behind you, and that. I venture to say, however you may frame your proposals, you will never have (Ministerial cheers), Is emigration any better? Emigration will greatly increase the diffi. culties with which you will have to deal. If you send out discontented instead of contented emi- grants, u your pour into America or Australia Irish peasants, torn from their homes because it was im- possible for them to live there, they would go there with burning hatred against your institutions and against your monarchy. You will raise up ten evils for one you put down. You have tried your policy already and it has failed miserably. It has reduced your British majority, and it has produced no effect upon the Irish majority in your Imperial Assembly. I don't know that you have any but three courses open. The first courae is to disfranchise Ireland and convert it into a Crown colony the second is your former policy, which is most expensive and ineffec- tual and the third is some form of Home Rule. The first is impossible, and as to the third you have not yet come to it, though it may not be long in coming (Ministerial cheers). So we go on with an equal story all through these years. You promised us that we should discharge the burthen of English logi3la- tion and Irish business by your resolute government, but found it as heavy, as obnoxious, as encumbering as it had ever been in any previous Parliament. I put aside the expense with which this policy is accompanied, the million or so spent on light rail- ways and sops to feed the Cerberus of Irish discontent which you are not able by any means to allay. But in pursuing the policy of Irish Home Rule we are guided quite as much by dread and discontent of what you propose as by any special content of what we propose curselves.

AN ACCIDENTAL SUICIDE.