Transcriber's note
This text contains punctuation inconsistencies and misspellings whichhave been retained. In the text unresolved printer's errors arepresented like this.A list can be found at the end of the book.
THESPEECHES(IN FULL)OFRT. HON. W. E. GLADSTONE, M. P.,ANDWILLIAM O'BRIEN, M. P.,ONHOME RULE,DELIVERED IN PARLIAMENT,FEB. 16 AND 17, 1888.
NEW YORK:
AMERICAN NEWS CO.
MR. GLADSTONE'S SPEECH.
Mr. Gladstone. In following the right honorable gentleman, I shall onlytouch those portions of his speech which go the heart of the question.In my opinion, they constituted a very small part of his address(cheers), the rest being criminatory and incriminatory matter, which,however amusing to a portion of the House, really assists us very littlein getting at the root of the great question before us. I do thisparticularly because there is a great difficulty, owing to the enormousrange of the question, in confining the debate within the narrow limitsto which we all desire to confine it. My honorable and learned friend,the member for Inverness (Mr. Finlay), last night, when no member of theGovernment seemed in a condition to follow the speech of the honorablemember for Northeast Cork (Mr. W. O'Brien), (Opposition cheers),gallantly stepped into the breach, and performed that office on behalfof ministers, which has so often been performed by those who aresometimes termed "Dissenting Liberals"; namely, that of findingexpedients of defence for the Government which they and their adherentsbehind them have been unable to discover. (Opposition cheers.) Myhonorable and learned friend said he thought it high time that thedebate should draw to a close. I can perfectly understand reasons why heshould desire that there might be no debate at all on this subject(laughter and cheers), but when he says that the discussion hasextended to unreasonable length, I point to the speech of theAttorney-General last night, of the length of which I am far fromcomplaining, but which was evidently in sharp contradiction with theview of my honorable and learned friend.
Why, sir, it has not been possible to include in this debate a number ofquestions which deserve, and may yet have to receive detailed criticism.For example, the law of public meetings has hardly been touched, and yetit is gravely involved in the 2proceedings of the recess. ("Hear,hear.") The relations between landlord and tenant have hardly beentouched, and to that notwithstanding a similiar observation will apply.("Hear, hear.") The treatment given to prisoners of a particular classhas not been the subject of discussion, and I will make none of thesethree matters subject of discussion; but at the same time no one candoubt that all of them, and many more besides, are fit for the attentionof the House. ("Hear, hear.") I must proceed by the method ofselection, and I am bound to say that so far as I am personallyconcerned, if it had not been for the pointed references to me, and theperfectly fair and just challenges delivered against certain portions ofmy speeches in the recess, I should gladly have remained out of sight. Iam of opinion that such speeches as have been made by the honorablemember for the city of Cork in moving his amendment, and by thehonorable me