FEDERAL PRINCIPLE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 650, 29 October 1909, Page 7

FEDERAL PRINCIPLE.

THE CURE FOR IRELAND. GREAT SPEECH BY SIR W. LAURIER. • AN EMPIRE FEDERATION. (By Telegraph—Press Assoclatien-Copyrltht.) (tteo. October 28, 10.10 p.m.) ' . Ottawa, October 28. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister of Canada, gave a brilliant address at Montreal upon the British Constitution. He declared: that the British Constitution was more democratic., more elastio, and more responsive to .public heeds than that of the United State, The orio "point in Vhlch'tlie American Constitution was superior was itt its being a. federated, union, whereas tho British was a legislative union. Experience had shown that a federated union was , tho most potent instrument for unity, despite ethnological and geographical. divisions.

It was astonishing, said Sir' Wilfrid, that William Ewart Gladstone did not hit on tho federated principle as the remedy for - the Irish question.. ,The British Parliament was now; overloaded With petty details., Perhaps sometime.the federated principle would bo. applied to England, Scotlahdj and Ireland, in a new Constitution covering the whole Empire.( \ ". F

MR. GLADSTONE'S BILLS, The prifteipie'of'a federated linioni referred by Sir Wilfrid Lauri r,;is. that' of States, with loial legislatures and with-a. federal legis» latnre. Mr. Gladstone's Home . Rule Bill of 1886, which proposed an Irish Parliament'with 'Certain, powers,. expressly excluded from the Imperial Parliament all Irish Peers and M.P.'e. In this, according to Sir' Wilfrid Laurier'6 argument, Mr. Gladstone was'wtotig. i Mr.. Gladstone's Irifeh Home Rule Bill of 1893 wis, however, different on this point/ It prodded that eighty Irish memhers should sit and vote in the Imperial Parliament, but should not speak or voto on purely British questions. Later on, in: Committee of the Commons/.Mr. Gladstone, moved an amendment to the effect that the eighty. .Irish .members' be retained in the Imperial Parliament and permitted to vote for ail purposes. The Commons Accepted', the amendment, but the. House of , Lords rejected the Whole Bill by a lnajoritydjf 378. v • Sir Wilfrid Laurier apparently looks forward to a federal body, representing, the whole Empire, and to State or local legislatures in' England, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as in. the oversea dominions. .' "•7 • > i'...-' ,7 .

What' 13' known in the' Old Country as tho "Homo Rule All Round" policy' rncana '"tho creation of subordinate! Parliaments; On' the colonial plan, in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, leaving, to, the Imperial Parliament the transaction-of all -bnsinets relating to; the Empire at andthe United Kingdom as a whole, And all foreign affairs. i'The, local Parliaments would manage all matters that con* Oerned their own immediate districts, but Hvonld have no power to deal with any' Blatters affecting other districts"