IRISH HOME RULE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1396, 23 March 1912, Page 12

IRISH HOME RULE.

WHAT IT WOULD IMPLY. In a recent address to his constituents, Mr. Austen Clmniberhiiii affirmed that tlome Rulers had now abandoned all their original grounds for thoir demands and had fallen back upon the simple [ilea that (he Irish ought to ho allowed to manage their ov;n alfairs. What did the Irish want? Their claim was that Ireland was a nation, and that becausc she was a nation she had the rifjht to manage her own affairs. What were the alfairs of a nation ? If the.v granted that Ireland was a nation, anil that as such she had a right to manage her own affairs, she had a right to cltoose her own form of government, to sav whether sho would ho governed by a momirehy or a republic, whether she would have' two Chambers or one, and to settle her own Constitution for herself, Sho would have thr right to levy her own taxes, ami to spend them exactly as she wished; to raise her own army and navy if sho wished, or to go without nu army and navv is sho desired. Sho would have the riglit to all authority over the administration of justice, to endow, if she liked, a State Church, or, without establishing a Church, to give it any privileges or preference that commended themselves to her pconle. She would have the Tight to manage ber own trade, to hnvt> her own Customhouse, to levy duties, it' she wished, on anvone's goods, including any goods that might be sent from England. Were they prepared, was' any Liberal prepared to accept that claim or to give licr those rights? Xo, face to face with the facts, even Engli'h Home llulcrs shrank from those conclusions, '['bey said tliat the Parliament tliev were eoine to <-ct up would be a subordinate Parliament, that it would not have the right to meddle in ■ foreign affairs, to raise armed forces or to raise Custom duties. They were not quite sn sure about (hat now. Tliev were wailing for Mr. Redmond to express his decision. It was as sure as day! real; thai such a Parliament mnsHir n rival tn the only oil ev Parliament with which H could compare itself. Tt mils', scol; for i'si>]f tlio authoritv and the pnwers which had been withheld from it. and when Mich a Parliament had been establMwl we should have but slight power to refuse its demands or to repress its actions.