A SCOTCH PEER ON HOME RULE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1846, 22 January 1880, Page 3

A SCOTCH PEER ON HOME RULE.

Tho Earl of Ro6obery presided at the annual dinner of the Scottish Corporation, which has just been hold in London, and in proposing the toast of the evening said it had often struck him as a marvellous featuro in the national character of tho Scottish people that when their more mercurial neighbors and fellow-subjects in Ireland wore agitating for Homo Rule there had nevor been any demand of that kind in the beloved land across the Tweed. [Cheers.] It was not for him to put before them the benefits which would arise from Homo Rule in Scotland [a laugh], but he might endeavor to indicate in the country in which they sojourned what a dangerous question that of Home Rulo would be for Scotchmen to tamper with. What would occur ? In Edinburgh they would have a proud Parliament with all the modern improvements [laughter] ; with a House of Lords, a House of Commons, an Opposition, a gangway, a Black Rod, and heaven only knew what beside. [Laughter.] The City would be rent asunder in the middle of its summer—when it had a summer —[laughter] -by tho competing attractions of a House of Lords, a House of Commons, three General Assemblies, and very likely an Episcopal Synod [laughter] and that House of Lords and that House of Commons would have the benefit of dealing comprehensively and intelligently with the political questions which were dear to themselves, but the very names of which, in the ears of Southerners, were such as to forbid their entertainment. [Laughter.] There was, however, a dark contrast to this pleasing picture. Let them think of the country they would have to leave. Suppose that, like Israel, they were to pass out of the Land of Goshen, and that they took with them their songs, their dishes—[laughter]— their musical instruments [laughter]—their dances—why, they would not leave to England as much as the wooden figure at the door of a snuff shop. [Laughter.] St. Andrew's Day would then be kept on this sido of tho border as a fast, and the Burns anniversary as a day of national humiliation (laughter). Every now and then tidings would roach the peoplo of England of magnificent goings on in Sootland—of splendid festivities in tho northern capital, of brilliant debates in the purest Doric (laughter), of concerts at which nothing was heard but the Bound of the bagpipes (laughter), of balls at which nothing was danced but tho " Houliohon " (laughter), and where the kilted leader of the Opposition was seen, forgetting his grievances against the Prime Minister, in a blue bonnet over a glass of whißky toddy (laughter), the savour of which would not be forgotten by Southerners (laughter). Such a project as that, if they could entertain it at all, would, however, be selfish (laughter). They had no right to indulge themselves at the expanse of others (laughter) ; and, by depriving England of their pleasant presence, they would be shutting, so to speak, " the gates of mercy on mankind " (cheers and laughter).