Thursday, February 19th.—The impending advent of a Home Rule Bill is greatly perturbing the little remnant of Irish Nationalist Members, threatened with the extinction of their pet grievance. Although but seven in number they made almost noise enough for seventy. Question-time was punctuated with their plaints. The Chief Secretary did his best to soothe them, but his remark that "no man in Ireland need be in prison if he will obey the law" poured oil on the flames.
Despite the reduction of the Question-ration from eight to four per Member, the House collectively grows "curiouser and curiouser." This is partly due to the popularity of Premier-baiting, now to be enjoyed on Mondays and Thursdays. In future, Members are to be further restricted to three Questions per diem; but no substantial relief is to be hoped for until the House sets up its own censorship, with power to expunge all Questions that are trivial, personal or put for purposes of self-advertisement. Not many—a dozen or two daily, perhaps—would survive the scrutiny.
A NEW ISLE OF THE BLEST.
(The "Cubanisation" of Ireland, suggested by Mr. de Valera, is being seriously discussed in Sinn Fein circles.)
When Ireland is treated like Cuba,
As great de Valera suggests,
And the pestilent loyalist Pooh-Bah
No longer our island infests,
The Pearl that adorns the Antilles