The Leader of the Opposition had not, so far, shone in his new position, and people were not slow in coming to the conclusion that he required the stimulus and the strength of a solid majority behind him to bring out his peculiar talents.  At all events, his first speech following the introduction of the Home Rule Bill was a ghastly failure.  It was listened to in almost unbroken silence from the beginning to the end—­not that the speech had not plenty of cleverness in it, the small cleverness of small points—­but it was badly delivered.  It did not seem to rise to the heights expected on such an occasion; in short, it was a disappointment.  Only once or twice did the Leader of the Opposition succeed in rousing his friends to even an approach to enthusiasm.  Speaking of the amount of money put to the credit of Ireland, he declared the Government admitted they had been beaten in a conflict with the forces of law and order, and that this was the war indemnity which had to be paid—­a hit that very much delighted Mr. Chamberlain.  The portion of the speech which created sensation was that in which he alluded to the use of the veto.  It had been contended by Mr. Sexton that the veto would never be used unless the Irish Parliament so abused its powers as to justify the use of it.  This was an honourable bargain between the British Parliament and the Irish.  To such a bargain Mr. Balfour declared he and his friends would be no parties.  They would not let the weapon of veto rust in case it were put into their hands, and so on—­a passage which excited some enthusiasm on the Tory benches and strong anger on the Irish.

[Sidenote:  Mr. Bryce.]

The real framers of the Bill are understood to be Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Morley, and Mr. Bryce.  No man in the House of Commons has so complete a knowledge as Mr. Bryce of the various forms of government in the world, especially in countries which have the complicated system that is about to be fashioned under the new Bill.  Mr. Bryce is a professor and a student, and he has the manner of his calling and his pursuits.  Arguing his case without passion, slowly, calmly, in excellently chosen language, he can speak on even the most violently contested measure as though it were a demonstration in anatomy.  So he spoke on February 14th—­making mince-meat with deadly tranquillity of manner of most of the objections of Mr. Balfour, and altogether strengthening the position of the Bill.

[Sidenote:  Mr. Redmond.]

A speech which had been looked forward to with even greater curiosity was that of Mr. Redmond, the leader of the Parnellites.  The Tories had settled themselves down in large numbers, counting on a great treat.  And undoubtedly the opening of Mr. Redmond’s speech was not auspicious.  He thought that some recognition should have been given to the great dead Irishman as well as to the living Englishman who had brought the Home Rule question to its present position.  The delighted Tories, not loving Mr. Parnell, but