It was assumed, of course, that gentlemen who had thus indicated their
desire for the reduction of the Irish members, or for their
disappearance altogether, would vote against a proposition which asked
that they should remain in full force. If this course were adopted, Mr.
Redmond would be crushed under a combination of the Liberals, who wanted
the numbers to be 80, and the Tories who wanted the Irish members to
disappear altogether; but in these days, and with such an Opposition as
we have now in the House of Commons, it is not possible to make any
calculations on what course we would adopt. To the amazement of the
House--above all things to the amazement of Mr. Gladstone--who has not
yet entirely got over the traditions of the past, and, therefore,
over-sanguine expectations as to the scruples of his opponents--Mr.
Chamberlain and Mr. Balfour both announced that they were ready to go
into the same lobby as Mr. Redmond. And so those who wanted all the
Irish members, and those who wanted none, were both going to vote
exactly the same way.
[Sidenote: A bolt from the blue.]
For a moment everybody was staggered by this declaration; and it
produced a combination which anybody could forecast, and for which
nobody was prepared.
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