Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1885 — PARNELL’S VICTORY. [ARTICLE]

PARNELL’S VICTORY.

Gladstone Ready to Give Ireland a Parliament with Sweeping Powers. The British Kingdom .Greatly Agitated Over the Sudden Turn of Affairs. A Conflict of Opinion Among Political Leaders —The Editors Much Excited. London dispatch. Mr. Parnell has won. There is no longer any doubt that Mr. Gladstone will concede •home rule of a sweeping kind. Of course the details of the eventual compromise are unknowable, but it is believed that, beyond stipulating for free trade and exacting guarantees of protection for the loyal minority in Ireland, everything will be yielded to Mr. Parnell. As the Gladstone programme is outlined, it contains a proviso that Ireland shall continue to send members to Westminster, but it is likely that he will give way on this point, as the Irish do not wish imperial representation. There will be a Dublin Parliament supreme over Irish affairs, over the police, taxation, courts, and all internal matter’s. This seems certain. But how it will be brought about is doubtful. There is no question of Mr. Gladstone’s ability to carry the great bulk of the Liberals for the measures, as the Liberal .papers are rapidly vaulting to the homerule side, but whether it will be done while the Liberals are in opposition or after their return to power is not seen. It must be remembered, too; that Lord Salisbury has it in his power to dissolve Parliament before the thing is done, and it is quite likely that be will do this, going to the country on a strenuous anti-Irish cry. There is immense excitement in London over the news. A dispatch from Dublin says the public there is intensely enthusiastic. The following additional telegram was received from Mr. Gladstone at a late hour last night: “My reply in regard to the Standards statements applies also to those of the Pall Mall Gazette and Daily News. Although .those statements were unauthorized, proposals may conveniently be canvassed. “Only an Irish Parliaments will meet the case. Local councils, etc., would be use- ' less. The right to veto the acts of an Irish ministry would be au illusion. I propose instead the exercise of sovereign power on the part of a Minister responsible to the Imperial Parliament. The suggestion of an Irish privy council is unworthy of attention. The privy council survives only as a relic. The substitute is a cabinet. The questions of commerce and police are difficult ones, but with limitations I believe that home-rule may safely be granted, and that it would tend to raise the character of the Irish members.”

The Press Association says that Mr. Gladstone, foreseeing the increase in strength of the Parnell party, drafted a scheme four months ago for the self-gov-ernment of Ireland, according to which the power of veto by the Crown could be exercised only on the advice of a privy council convened especially to discuss the subject in question. The other points in the scheme were the same as already published. The project was submitted to a few political friends of Mr. Gladstone. Since the elections there have been no formal consultations on the subject, and it is not known whether or not the details of the scheme have siqce been modified. It is supposed that Mr. Goschen, who is almost certain to be Chancellor of the Exchequer in the next Gladstone Cabinet, will support the scheme. The Standard deplores Mr. Gladstone’s political profligacy. The Morning Post predicts civil war. The Times says: “The real danger is that, amid endless protestatious against separation and illusory safeguards of imperial unity, the control of the Commons will be gone, and will never be recovered except by civil war. We trust Englishmen will see this before it is too late. It would be better to cut off connection absolutely and to prepare for dealing with Ireland as an open foe than to arm traitors by the farce of pretending to maintain unity without the power to enforce a single law disapproved at Dublin." Sir Charles Dilke, in a speech at Chelsea last night, expressed anger at the action of the conservatives in rejecting proffered support. He said it was impossible for Lord Salisbury to expect the Liberals to give him a vote of confidence in addition to permitting him to remain in power. Sir Charles adhered to the views previously expressed by him on the Irish question.