OCR Text |
Show Justin AkCarty on Edward VII. Justin, McCarty. writing in the Independent on &King Fdward VII and His Parliament," on the difficulties betweerrthe- king and His ministersrand the disagreements . of these, latter among : themselves, them-selves, appears. thoroughly convinced of Edward's good will to Ireland. He says:. "The general effect ef-fect of all that one can hear from anything like authoritative and trustworthy soxtrces.is that the King has entered tipcai"' a career of genuine and high-minded statesmanship, and is doing his best to make his reign memorablo by enlightened and upright measures.. -Every evidence on which we can place any reliance shows that he Is determined that full justice shall be done to the rightful claims of Ireland, and, indeed, this was to be seen from the very moment when he appointed Sir Anthony , MacDonnell Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant Lieuten-ant of Ireland, a position which is practically the chief working place in the Irish Government.' As Mr. McCarthy is a good Home-Kuler. and was for many years 'vice-chairman of the Irish party, his word must have weight on this subject. He believes that if there had been at the opening open-ing of Ihe session a strong and energetic Liberal Party in opposition, the Government would probably prob-ably ere this have been forced to dissolve Parliament Parlia-ment and take the verdict of the country by means of a General Election. As things are, however,, continues Mr. McCarthy, ''the work of genuine' and vigorous opposition has been left altdgther in the hands of Mr. John JJedmorid and his gallant and united band of Irish Nationalists members. One fact, at least, may be taken as certain that, however how-ever the movements of Parliament since King Edward Ed-ward came to the throne may have affected the-Conservative the-Conservative Government or .the. Liberal Opposition, Opposi-tion, they have enabled the Irish National Party -to raise itself to a more commanding position in the House of Comm6ns that it ever held since Par-nell Par-nell reached the zenith of his power. While writing this article I have actually received the news that Mr. Tiedmond has in the" debate" ori the estimates for Irish education inflicted a positive defeat on the government. He carried a motion for a re-' duction in one of the estimates by a majority of H. The government may affect, to think lightly on this defeat as a mere casual incident, butVvery" cool observer must know that it carries with, it , something like a death warning. : |