The Life Of Charles Stewart Parnell - Ii

104 CHARLES STEWART PAUXKLL [i8H:>
Election. ' The Irish Liberals/ ho said, with an expression of sublime scorn which I shall never forget, * the Irish Liberals! Are there, any Liberals in Ireland? Where are they? I must confess [with a magnificent roll of the voice] that I feel a good deal of difficulty in recognising these Irish Liberals you talk about; and [in delightfully scoffing accents, and with an intonation which had often charmed me in the House of 1*01111110118! 1 think Ireland would have a good deal of difficulty in recognising them cither' |laughing ironically). He asked me if I. thought the, Irish Tories would hang together: for there had been a foolish rumour at Urn time of ft Bplit in the Tory ranks. I said, * Yes/ that tin*. Tories and the Nationalists would divide Urn representation of the country between them. This ended the conversation. It was xvry short, but I carried away two clear ideas ; (1) that Mr. (Jbedstone's mind wan full of Ireland ; 1*2) that lie now foresaw the revolution which the* Franchise Act of JHH-I would makii in the Irish representation.
While Mr. Gladstone wan thinking out, the Irish question, Lord Salisbury did not neglect the subject, At Newport, in Monmouthshire, on October 7, the Prime Minister boldly fared the Home Huh* problem. He said :
'The Irish leader has referred to Austria ami Hungary. „ . . Home notion of Imperial Frdrration wa« floating in bin mind. ... In speaking of Imperial Federation, as entirely apart from the Irish question, I wish to guard myself very carefully. I deem it to be one of tho questions of the futuru. * , » But with respect to Ireland, 1 am bound to say that 1 have never KCH.JH any plan or su^ttstion which gives me, at proBont, the Hlighttmt ground for anticipatingrtm^t ami Beiwetlies.' is this—that if they have not succeeded