Mr. Balfour was foolish enough
to try and dot the "I's," and to put into Mr. Gladstone's mouth that
which his enemies hoped he had said. For Mr. Balfour, remarking that Mr.
Gladstone had made a more explicit declaration than any which had yet
come from his lips--this was all right, and was quite true--went on to
the further statement that the Old Man had now committed himself to
standing or falling by the ninth clause "in its present shape." This,
you will see, was the whole crux of the situation. If Mr. Gladstone had
said this, then, indeed, it might go hard with him by-and-bye, for
whether the Liberal party would accept the ninth clause in its present
shape was one of the questions yet to be decided. The Old Man, however
his words might have been open to this construction, had not in reality
said anything of the kind. And, at once, he was prompt to see how
necessary it was to correct this error, for he immediately rose to his
feet to say that he had never said anything of the sort. What he had
said was that the Government intended to stand by the principle that the
Irish members were to have a place in the Imperial Parliament, which, it
will be seen, leaves open the perilous and perplexing question: what
form that representation in the Imperial Parliament is to take.
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