LORD DALHOUSIE ON HOME RULE.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 303, 11 December 1886, Page 4

LORD DALHOUSIE ON HOME RULE.

[LONDON TIMES.] Speaking at meeting of the Broughty Ferry Liberal Association, Lord Dalhousie said that in the recent defeat of the Liberals they had the counsolation of knowing that no question ever espoused by a majority of the Liberal party had failed to win in the end. The Conservative Press advised them ib accept the defeat of Mr, Gladstone's scheme as final. He accepted the verdict so far that the country disapproved of the scheme, and wished the Tories to make an attempt to settle the Irish question. But it was absurd and ridiculous to suppose that the electors would never at some future period change their minds. He hoped the Liberals would bear themselves like men, and that they would not have recourse to unworthy obstruction, but would continue, as had been done this session, to give the Government fair play. At the same time the Liberal party were loyal to their great leader, and would do what they could to promote the ultimate success of the cause by persuading their neighbours that it was a right cause. Neither did they blink the fact that Liberal prospects were not bright. The party was at present divided as it had not been since the beginning of the century, since the time when the French Revolution caused a split in the Liberal party and kept them out of office for 27 years Until they were united they could not get into power, and if they wanted to win they must somehow or other promote union in their ranks. While they were divided the Conservatives were certain to be too many for them, and their policy ought not to be to malign those who differed from them, not to make the breach wider, but, on the contrary, to make it easy for those who had taken the wrong path to turn back and get into the right one. They wanted those who called themselves Uuionists to be Unionists indeed, not what they called paper Unionists. When he said paper Unionists he meant those who attached more importance to form than to substance. He maintained that they themselves were the real Unionists, because what they wished was to bring about a union of the hearts and wills of the people of England and Ireland, and not merely an appearance of union which at bottom did not really exist. Referring to Scotch matters, the noble earl said Scotland would accept a scheme of Home Rule such as was put forward for Ireland. They wanted to exercise their full share of power over the British Empire. Their union with England had not made them less Scotch than they were before, and if they wished to alter or regulate theit relations with England they would do so by practical consideration of political and administrative convenience. Professor Stuart spoke at length on Home Rule, which, he maintained, was the only cure for Irish disaffection. A motion proposed by Mr. Haldane, M.P., and seconded by Mr Asquith, M.P., was carried unanimously, regretting the rejection of Mr Gladstone's beneficent scheme for securing a genuine and permanent union of Ireland with Great Britain.