word to say for it, but fortunately for its
chances their criticisms were often mutually destructive.

Mr. CLYNES moved its rejection. From his remark that Irish respect for the
law was destroyed in 1913, and that the present Administration was regarded
as "the most abominable form of government that had ever ruled in Ireland,"
I should gather that he has only recently begun his researches into Irish
history and Irish character, and is working backwards. His prescription was
to cease governing Ireland by force and leave her to frame her own
constitution.

Lord ROBERT CECIL agreed with Mr. CLYNES in regarding it as a very bad
Bill, but there parted company with him. In his view the deterioration of
Ireland began in 1906, when the era of "firm government" came to an end.
Drop coercion by all means, but "let the murderers begin." As for forcing
self-government on a country that rejected it, that was nonsense.

As "a citizen of the world," and not merely an Irishman, Mr. T. P. O'CONNOR
denounced the Bill _urbi et orbi_. Nobody in Ireland wanted it unless it
was the place-hunters of the Bar and the Press, for whom it would provide
rich pickings.

The House was brought back from rhetoric to plain fact by the CHANCELLOR OF
THE EXCHEQUER'S reminder that if the Bill were not passed the Home Rule Act
of 1914 would come into force. He hoped that Southern Ireland would recover
its sanity, accept the Bill and set itself to persuade Ulster into an
All-Ireland Parliament _via_ the golden bridge of the Irish Council.

Captain CRAIG could not imagine that happening in his lifetime. To his mind
the only merit of the Bill was that it safeguarded Ulster against Dublin
domination.

_Tuesday, March 30th._--Someone--I suspect a midshipman--has been telling
Mr. BROMFIELD that five British Admirals have been sent to Vienna to
supervise the breaking up of the Austrian Fleet, and that the said Fleet
now consists of three motor-boats. He was much relieved to hear from Mr.
HARMSWORTH that only one Admiral had been sent, and that the disposal of a
Dreadnought, several pre-Dreadnoughts and sundry smaller craft will give
him plenty to do.

There appears to be a shortage of ice in Hull. It is supposed that the
Member for the Central Division (Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY) has not cut so
much as he expected.

The debate on the Home Rule Bill was resumed in a much higher temperature
than that of yesterday. Mr. ASQUITH, as he thundered in carefully-