HOME RULE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1416, 17 April 1912, Page 7

HOME RULE BILL.

DEBATE CONTINUED. MR. BALFOUR DENOUNCES THE SCHEME. AN " UTTERLY UNWORTHY " MEASURE. By Telegraph-Press AesociaUon-Cojiyrigut (Rcc. April Iβ, 11.35 p.m.) London, April IG. The debate on the Home liulo Bill was continued in (lio llouso of Commons todny, m-lioa Mr. Balfour addressed a crowded House. The late Leader of the Opposition paid a sarcastic tribute to the dexterity of tho Government in not consulting tho electors before introducing the Bill. Ho ridiculed the talk of tho supremacy of the Imperial Parliament as a safeguard, and objected to Ireland being regarded as a mere hangeron of a rich country, and as a poor relation. They should view tho United Kingdom as a whole, and not search too closely whether any part contributed more than it took from the Exchequer.- Ho asked whether the Constabulary, for which Britain is to pay during tho first sexcunium, would bo under British or Irish control. If under British control, how could the Irish Executive bo responsible for law and order? A Lop-sided Project. The Premier's initial Federal experiincut was lop-sided and utterly unworthy of British statesmanship. Ho did not believe tho English and Scottish members would support au insane Federal system divided by Customs barriers. If Ireland could use tile Customs against foreigners llio Government would bo involved in appalling difliculties, arising from its reversal of tho true policy of national development of great social communities. Ho felt that they must maintain their position by integration and not by disintegration. South Africa had realised her place in the Empire by rejecting a Homo Rule federation and adopting closer union. Mr. Asquith's lop-sided federalism was only a fair-weather constitution. If tho Nationalises really believed Ireland was a nation they ought not to' be content with such a makeshift. Ho desired to see tho Irish as free as England and Scotland to co-operate in Empire work, and declared that they had such freedom under the present system. The architects of tho great overseas Federal systems wero never responsible for this ."botched and unworkmanlike scheme." The guarantees to Ulster were intended for British consumption, but deceived no ouo in Ireland. Ministerial Rejoinder. Mr. Herbert Samuel, Postmaster-Gene-ral, pointed out that Mr. Balfour, in HOG, had described tho grant of selfgovernment to South Africa asi a reckless scheme. Ho denied that tho granting , of Homo Rule, led to separatist tendencies. Autonomy was ess-eutial to Imperial unity. After accustoming Ireland to an expenditure on tho English scale, it wus indefensible to ask her to find the whole of her expenditure. The new Parliament, if not assisted, would be faced in its first year with a deficit exceeding one-" fifth of its wlulo revenue. At the samo lime- it would bo unjust permanently to paddle the British taxpayer with the difference. Ho was convinced that when Ireland was prosperous sho would share tho burden of Empire It' tho Irish Government were able to economise it could remit any taxes it liked. It was impossible to givo the Irish Parliament unfettered control of tho Customs, as this would be inconsistent with the Government's general policy. Financial Arrangements.. 'Tho financial experts who had inquired into 'Anglo-Irish finance, continued : Mr. Samuel, had found it so -utterly unsound that they had recommended complete fiscal autonomy for Ireland, and an annual subvention of .CMO.OOO. The Government wns unable to accept this , suggestion, and thoreforo tho whole of the Irish revenue would continue to bo' paid' into this Imperial Exchequer while thodoficit lasted. Tho..total transferred annually from the Exchequer would be about .£6,000,000. This would not bo a grant, but would bo derived, from Irish taxes. The cost of the reserved services would bo about .£5,000,000, and tho money loss on them at tho outset would bo two millions. This deficit would disappear in a-decade if thepresent prosperity was maintained. The ten per cent, variation in Customs was based on tho French and German local government systems! Any increaso over ten per cent, would go to tho English Exchequer. Tho Irish Executive in controlling excise would be controlled by tho Imperial authorities in consequence of the Customs duty on beer and spirits, and also with regard to the power to increnso tho income tax nnd death duties and to borrow for national development. Ulster's Pretensions, Lord Hugh Cecil, Unionist member fo: Oxford University, declared that if Ire land was treated as iv separate nationalit; it could not receive without dishonoui tlio financial aid proposed. She would !» reduced from tho status cf a wife to r mistress. Hβ believed that the Irisl Protestants wero ready to take Ihroi sharo in public life. The trouble »as dm to tho Ulster Protestants' pretensions tc ascendency in. Ireland. IMPORTANT EXPLANATION. POWERS OF HUSH LEGISLATURE. (Rcc. April 10, MO p.m.) London, April IG. The Prime. Minister, Mr. Asquith, in replying to a question in the House oi Commons, said tho Irish Legislature, after the end of its first trionnium, 'might alter the qualification cf electors and tho distribution of eeats, provided it did not alter tho number of tho members to bo elected.