ULSTER & HOME RULE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1349, 29 January 1912, Page 5

ULSTER & HOME RULE.

MAIN OBJECTION REMOVED. ! LORD LONDONDERRY'S REPLYINTENSE FEELING AROUSED. Bj Telecrapli—Prcae Association—OoDjrlehl (Rec. January 28, 5.5 p.m.) London, January 27. Lord Londonderry, replying to Mr. Winston Churchill's letter, states that tho main objection of Ulster Unionists has been removed, therefore he deprecated any interference with the holding of Sir. Churchill's meeting elsewhere, but lie could not accept responsibility for the visit, owing to the intense feeling aroused. TROOPS UNDER ORDERS. (Rec. January 28, 5.5 p.m.) London, January 27. Tho "Daily Chroniclo" states that .fchreo regiments of infantry and two of cavalry have b«en ordered to hold themselves in readiness to proceed to Belfast. COMPARISON DISCREDITED, (Rec. January 2S, 5.5 p.m.) London, January 27. Sir Cornthwaito Rason, Agent-General for West Australia, speaking at York, in referring to the comparison between Home Rule for Ireland and the overseas Dominions, ' declared that if Australia was where Ireland was, Australia would never have asked and would never have had self-government. MR. REDMONQ'S PICTURE OF • HOME RULE. AN IRISH PARLIAMENT AT WORK. Mr. Redmond contributed to "Home Rule Notes" a picture of what is likely to happen "when Home Rule- is an accomplisned fact." The article assumes that "an Irish Parliament, duly elected, has come into being, and that the Government of Ireland, has secured' for its purposes the historic building, consecrated in the eyes of Irishmen l)y so uuiuy glorious memories—the old Parliament House in College Gieeh." Mr. I'cdmorid looks forward to seeing "the first session of a reborn Irish Parliament" opened by the King iii person. 'Tor my own part/' he says, "I should hops to use whatever influence lay in riiy. control in the same spirit as General Botha hns used his great authority in South Africa." As regards the early work of the l'ar- ' liament.' Mh Redmond says: "We should have to deal, for example, with reform of {he Poor Law, which, by consent of all parties, is urgently needed in Ireland. ' The report of a very strong Vice-regal Commission presented nearly six years ago was thrown , aside, as very many valuable reports have been, because the Parliament at Westminster had not time to give effect to' its recommendations. That report embodied proposals which found general support through Ireland. But .it is inconceivable that, in framing the details of a measure so important, divergences of opinion should not arise; aud here the question whether a man was for or against Home Rule would have no relevance. Take another matter. Irish opinion would demand immediately sume reform of the railway System, which is cumbrous and extravagant, and v-hicli, as has often been shown, favours imrorted.trade at the expense of local, trade. There would bs advocates, apcl many of thorn, (or nationalisation of railways; but their proposals would , liavo U> meet the vested interests of Irishmen fcfinisjjing to all parties, for Irish railway shares are hold cjnite as largely !,.<• Nationalists as by Unionists. Moreover, there are quite' its many men in Ireland as in England' ready to support pi ivate enterprise as against State ciiutrol.

"On thfl edncation question ivo phoiild ha strongly pressed by Roman C'titliolics ami Nationalists, sis well as by I'riteslnnts and Unionists, to inipiovo tho deplorable cbuditioii of scfcjuiliirj. eriiica-) tibri. As to primary "ducaHon, -Tiifli opinion has avoided the religions, difficulty by giving equal privileges to all varieties of creed, and, nlthongh educa- j tional questions are always thorny (o deal with, I think that such divisious as would arise would not follow the lines of any denomination. ...

"But what we should be asked for mninly would be legislative and administrative action directed to improving and developing tlio agricultural and industrial life of the country—above all, the industrial life. The very last thins that Irish opinion would tolerate would bo action prejudicial to any existing industry, and that is the best of all safeguards for the interests of Ulster. Irish opposition to the increased whisky duty wns based solely oh the injury feared, and justifiably so, directly to ono of our surviving industries, and indirectly to tillage. "Again, wo should certainly be asked for legislation which would promote tillage and curtail the ranche system; and let me say here- that, in my opinion, more of the Irish crpss-ranches are held bv Catholics than by Protestants."

'Jtr. Ifedmond thinks that it is little likely that they would attempt any startling innovation, whether in law or administration. "Economy," he concludes, "would' be the first concern of nn Irish Parliament, as it has been of the- Irish County Councils."