282 THE CECILS
Hostile critics have made much capital out of Lord Salisbury's supposed philanderings with Home Rule. In a speech at Newport (October 7th, 1885), which Lord Morley describes as " one of the tallest and most striking landmarks in the shifting sands of this controversy," he used words which have been taken as an indication that he considered the creation of an Irish Parliament as more satisfactory than a mere extension of Local Government. Yet, later in the same speech, the following words occur : ' ' With respect to the larger organic questions connected with Ireland, I cannot say much, though I can speak emphatically. I have nothing to say but that the traditions of the party to which we belong are on this point clear and distinct, and you may rely upon it our party will not depart from them." Surely this explicit statement is at least sufficient to show that in his previous remarks he had not the " larger organic questions " in mind. In fact, no construction of this kind would ever have been put on the speech had not an event come to light which seemed to point in a similar direction. It appeared that, in the preceding June, the Irish Viceroy, Lord Carnarvon, with the approval of the Prime Minister, had an interview with Parnell, at which, according to the subsequent report of the Irish leader, Lord Carnarvon outlined a scheme of Home Rule with which Parnell found himself " in complete accord." In spite of the Viceroy's denial of the accuracy of this report, the incident was, of course, eagerly
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