This
he did slowly, deliberately, without the least attempt at oratory, but
in language extraordinarily lucid, delicately shaded, touching on points
with exquisite art. And what he said came to this; that the Bill was a
good Bill; that in his opinion it could be accepted by the Irish people
as a satisfactory settlement of their demands; but that in two points it
needed careful watching, and perhaps considerable amendment: the
financial settlement and the future of the Land Question.
[Sidenote: Mr. Balfour.]
The Leader of the Opposition had not, so far, shone in his new position,
and people were not slow in coming to the conclusion that he required
the stimulus and the strength of a solid majority behind him to bring
out his peculiar talents. At all events, his first speech following the
introduction of the Home Rule Bill was a ghastly failure. It was
listened to in almost unbroken silence from the beginning to the
end--not that the speech had not plenty of cleverness in it, the small
cleverness of small points--but it was badly delivered. It did not seem
to rise to the heights expected on such an occasion; in short, it was a
disappointment.
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