HOME RULE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1103, 17 April 1911, Page 5

HOME RULE.

THE WELSH AND SCOTTISH PARTJES. 3y TeleerapU—Press Association-Copyricht ■ .„ ..„ .... London,,. April 14.. Mr. E. T. John, Liberal M.P. for Derbyshire East, speaking at Mountain Ash, Glamorganshire, suggested that, if the Welsh and Scottish Parliamentary parties united in claiming Home Rule for themselves, they would be entitled to caual consideration with the Irish.

HOME RULE ALL ROUND. In the course of a debate in tho House of Commons on I'ebruury 15 Lord Hugh Ucil said he understood that the Foreign Secretary (Sir- K' Grey) ] contemplated Home Kulo all - round—separate parliaments for England and Scotland and Wales and Imperial Parliament being left to discuss what were vaguely called Imperial affairs. So far as he could see tiiat meant that the House of Commons would resolve itself into Committee of Ways and Means and Committee of Suppiy, and would have nothing else to do except occasionally alter the Constitution in tho interests of tho Liberal party. (Opposition cheers.) Ho could not think of any ordinary domestic measure passed within his recollection which would not logically be broken up into its English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh parts and carried out in detail by tho four different Parliaments. 13ut ff Home Rule all round wos what the Government meant, let the House not deceive itself by supposing that such a policy could be carried bit by bit. Tho crucial point of how tlio Irish representation in the House of Commons should Iμ adjusted under Irish Home Rule could not bo decided until it was known whether there would bo Homo Rule all round, for it would be very unreasonable to have Irish members deciding English, Welsh, and Scottish business in Westminster as well as having entire control of Irish all'aii's in Dublin. But that objection would not apply if them wore Homo Rule all round, Mr. Asquith said: 1 am a Scottish member myself, and have been ever since I have been in this House, and I say that Scotland suffers also from this congestion of business, from tho limitation of time and human power, and from this incapacity of Parliament, which represents tho three kingdoms. ■ An hon. member: How n.boiit Wales? Mr. Asquith-. I think Wales is a conspicuous illustration of tho incapacity, demonstrated by experience, of Ihis Parliament, gigantic in its si7,o and charged with the whole affairs of the three kingdoms, to pivo l.he reriuisito time, attention, and knowledge to tho local affairs of Hie constituent parts of (ho United Kingdom. (Ministerial cheers.) 1 think the case of Ireland is a enso paramount in urgency and in importance.