THE IRISH QUESTION.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 57, 22 October 1887, Page 2

THE IRISH QUESTION.

MR GLADSTONE AT NOTTINGHAM. THE POLICE ACTION "ABOMINABLE.” A '* GRAVE ACCOUNT." AN INCITEMENT TO BLOODSHED. GOSOHEN IN REPLY. RATTING FROM THE GOVERNMENT. London, October 21. A meeting of the Liberal Conference was held at Nottingham last night; at which Mr Gladstone was present; together with the leading men of his party. * On rising to apeak Mr Gladstone was greeted with loud and continued applause. He spoke with a tremulous accent for the first few minutes, admitting that the Liberals —meaning the Gladstonites—had terribly lost ground, and complained of the servitude to which the ParlibmOht of the present century had been reduced. Coercion in Ireland, he said, has distinctly failed. He explained the concessions Which he believed should be granted to Ireland by the English people, and advocated the establishment of an Irish Parliament on College Green, subject to the control of the Imperial Parliament. Referring to the disturbances at Mitchellstown and other places, Mr Gladstone said the action of the police was. to use the best term he could think of, simply abominable, and, he added, " the Irish nation has a grave account to settle with the English Government!” He condemned the Government for passing the resolution suppressing the proceedings of the Irish National League.

Mr Gladstone said that he supports single votes, free trade in land, and disestablishment of the Churches of Scotland and Wales* He intimated that he would not give any op. position to the details of Mr Joseph Chamberlain's recently-propounded scheme for the settlement of the difficulty, if the basis of that scheme proved acceptable to Ireland. Later.

There is considerable agitation in the Unionist Press regarding Mr Gladstone’s speech, which it declares is one of incitement to bloodshed and anarchy. Mr Goschen made a speech at Bradford, and during a lengthy and eloquent address, he referred to the state of Ireland, and the difficulties that the Government were experiencing in carrying out the Crimes Act. Those difficulties, he said, would not discourage the Government in administering the law with a firm hand. It was true that midnight secret meetings were still being held, but the action of tbe Government had had the effect of decreasing the practice of boycotting and the delivery of speeches which formerly acted as an incitement to crime. He dwelt on the prolific incitement to crime which was embodied in Mr Gladstone’s language, and said the anarchy advocated for Ireland would extend elsewhere.

Mr Gladstone is expected to visit Ireland in December.

Two Unionist members are going to resign, as they cannot support tbe Government's Irish policy.