During the debate which followed Gladstone's conversion to Home Rule in 1886, he declared: "As a Nationalist, I do not regard as entirely palatable the idea that forever and a day Ireland's voice should be excluded from the councils of an empire which the genius and valour of her sons have done so much to build up and of which she is to remain".
Ved en debat om Gladstone´s hjemmestyre i 1886, erklærede han: "Som Nationalist, betragter jeg ikke ideen, om at Irlands stemme for evigt skal ekskluderes fra rådene i et imperie som tapperheden og genialiteten hos hendes sønner har ofret så meget for at bygge op og som hun burde beholde, for attråværdig".