The position of the Government was equally clear.

With emphatic language--with a superabundance of argument--Mr.Gladstone stated his conviction that the Irish members should not remain in such large numbers and that the number should be 80.

This was all clear enough; but what about the position of all the other parties in the House?
[Sidenote: Tot homines, tot sententiae.] At first sight, it would appear that this ought to be very clear.

The Tories and the Unionists had several amendments on the paper.

One wanted the Irish members reduced to 48, one wanted to have them reduced to 40, and several of them desired that they should be reduced still further--in fact, should reach the irreducible minimum of none at all.
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.