The Dominion. TUESDAY, OCTOBER. 28, 1913. MR. ASQUITH ON HOME RULE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1891, 28 October 1913, Page 6

The Dominion. TUESDAY, OCTOBER. 28, 1913. MR. ASQUITH ON HOME RULE.

Ever since Lord Loreburn opened up the latest phase of the Home v Rule question by his proposal for a conference of representatives of all parties, in the' hope of arriving at a settlement by consent, the British world has been eagerly waiting for , a definite statement by tho. Prime Minister (Mr. Asquith), and now, after a significant silence of some six weeks, he has made a public pronouncement with special reference to recent developments. It cannot be said that Mr. Asquith's spcech at Ladybank gives much hope or encouragement to those who have been expecting a good deal from L»Hd Loreburn's appeal, for the Prime Minister still contends that thero is a complete constitutional ca-se for the application of the Parliament Act in the next session to make Home Rule operative. His reference to the conference is very guarded and quali* fled, and, so far as one can judge from the cable summary less encouraging, than Mr. Churohili/s recent utterance on tho same subject. The Prime Minister certainly holds out no hope of a general election before the Bill finally becomes law, and very little hope of anything being accomplished in tho way of settlement by consent. In fact, the speech cannot bo said to break any new ground, for though Mr. Asquith spea.ks with more restraint and_ with a greater sense of responsibility than Mr. Eedmond, the attitudo he takes up is not very different to that adopted by tho Nationalist leader. Mr. Redmond has laid it down that unless tho Unionists' are prepared to concede the principle of an Irish Parliament, with an Irish executive responsible to that, Parliament,' he would not agree to any conference. Mr. Asquith says much tho. same thing, though in different words, when -he declares there must be no interference with the establishment of a subordinate Legislature in Dublin, and that nothing mast bo done to erect a permanent and insuperable bar to Irish unity. This moans, of course, that Ulster must sooner or later como under the jurisdiction of a Parliament sitting in Dublin. The only , sort of conference to which Mr. Asquith would, agree, judging from his Ladybank speech,' would bo so tightly hedged round by restrictions and reservations that tho opponents of Home Rule could j hardly bo expected to take part 'in it. As The Times recently pointed ( out, no Unionist will agree that Ire- ] land must have a National Parliamcnt with an Executive responsible , to it, and then enter a conference to discuss the administration of a Bill which establishes such a Parliament. And yet 'that is almost exactly what , Mr. Asquith asks his opponents to ( do'. What is tho use of a conference ( if the main question in dispute is excluded from its consideration ? Nei- j ther the representatives of Ulster, . nor. tho Unionist party as a whole, j are likely to take part in Such a. j futile method of attempting to ar- . rive at a settlement by consent. Any i confcrence to be satisfactory must be ( permitted to deal with the whole j question of Irish government. If , the Unionists go so far as to accept , the position that somo change is in- , evitable, the Liberals and National- , ists on their part must be prepared ( to agree to very material alterations , in the, present Home Rule scheme. , Tho conference proposal is admitted- ( ly a difficult and delicate matter, for ( if the Government consented to a full , and free discussion of the whoki j problem and no,agreement should be ' arrived' at, it would be almost im- j possible to avoid an appeal to the j country before the Bill is put into ] operation. j Still, notwithstanding all ths manifest difficulties of the situation, j it is apparent that thero is a very ( strong ieeling > among men of all x shades of political opinion that effect j should bo given to Lord Loreuurn's j appeal for a conference or direct j communication between the leaders, j. "Tho attempt," Lord Loreburn says, • "ought to be made rather than that g we should drift into a lasting an- j tagonism for want of an honest s effort. . . . Every party and, what z is moro important, every section of c the community, stands to lose by s fighting out this quarrel to the bitter a end." Mr. Asquith does not meet r this suggestion with a direct negative, j He even goes so far as t-o state that g if there is a genuine disposition in all quarters for an interchange of s views and suggestions—free, frank, and without prejudice —he would irt- ( vite such an interchange in, which he and his colleagues would bo ready to r participate. But what he gives with j. one hand he takes back with the other if ho is going to lay down that a the main points in dispute must be regai'ded as root principles from which 0 there can be no departure. The v Prime Minister is on the whole uncompromising, perhaps even more j so than Sir Edward Carson, for though the latter declares that j.' there is no possibility of weakcning in Ulster's attitude, and that Ulster cannot for a moment admit the feasibility of a conference 1 which starts on the assumption that Home Rule in any form whatever would be acceptable, yet, ."if it were a question of considering the better 1 government of Ireland ... if it c were a question of the expansion of « local government, or of doing some- t thing which might unite the people s< in ono common cauee f«?r tha pro- ti eresß of Ireland," ha would; ho the d

1 first to say, "above all things, let us have a conference." While, Mr. Asquith expresses his willingness to 8 take part in a free exchange of sugj gestions, he says nothing about tak- , ing any steps to bring the parties • together. This is a delicate matter, for if he took the initiative it. would £ probably be regarded as a sign of . weakness. This point is mentioned i by Professor Sanday, of Oxford, - who approaches the question from a ' non-party standpoint, and ho suggests that the difficulty might be overcome if Lord Loreburn would • take another bold step and issue the invitations in his own name, and to whom he pleases. Dr. Sanday is not J too hopeful as to the results., but in other directions he sees no hopo at all. The appeal for a conference has now been under consideration for over six weeks, and during that time Mr. Redmond, Sir Edward Carson, Ms. Churchill, Mr. Asquith, and others, have expressed their opinion on it, but nothing dei finito has/been decided upon, and all tho time Ireland is drifting to- . wards a civil disturbance, which, in • the opinion of Lord Loreburn, will j be "more widespread and moro violent than on any former occasion during our times." This is tho deliberate opinion of a very cautious statesman. The Northern Whig (Belfast) paints the future in mu«h stronger colours, and declares that ■ if Mb. Asq.uith persists Ireland will bo drenched with blood, and Britain shaken to her very foundations. But fortunately the way to a settlement 'is not' even yet finally barred.