BRITISH POLITICS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9110, 1 April 1908, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

HOME RULE!" an INTERESTING DEBATE. Pres* Association—Copyright. London, March 31. Hr John Redmond moved a resolu- • |i on , that the system of . government in Ireland is inefficient, extravagantly costly, and productive of universal discontent and unrest, and that the only solution is to give the . Irish Legislative Executive control of all purely Irish affairs. Mr Redjnond claimed that the resolution was necessary to free the Liberals at the next general election from the tin- • fortunate pledges which debarred the party of convinced Home Rulers from giving effect to their convictions. Ireland was not content with' a half-way house scheme. He eloquently pleaded for the' right of the Irish to develop the resources of the country and for power to heal the •wounds inflicted through class hatred and religious dissensions. j | jjarl Percy moved an amendment, : declaring that if the Imperial Parliament abandoned its undivided responsibility, it would injure the prosperity of Ireland and imperil tho security of Britain, therefore the House was unalterably opposed to the creation of an Irish Parliament with a responsible executive. He declared that Home Rule was a losing /cause, not merely because its advocates were becoming fainthearted but because the new ideal of the. closer - union of all parts of the Empire was firing the enthusiasim of the British' people. There was no doubt which would win now that success in the ' war of commerce depended on concentration and union. Mr Birrell said Ireland con Id not wait indefinitely for urgent reforms. Unless there was to be something lite hell in Ireland—not murder and - crime, hut profound discontent, misery and dislocation of society—something must be done. He believed that the affairs in Ireland required Parliament’s exclusive attention. Mr Butcher, on behalf of the Protestant minority, declared that Home Rule would he not simply a political experiment, hut a desperate gamble with Imperial interests.

Mr Clark caused a scene by applying the epithets ignorant and lazy to the peasantry of West Ireland. Mr John O’Connor challenged Mr Clark to repeat the words outside, and called him a coward and cad. The Deputy Speaker named Mr O’Connor. When he refused to withdraw, Mr O’Connor, amid the cheers of the Irish, left the House. Mr Balfour denied the analogy between Ireland and the self-governing Colonies, and reminded the House that the political process between countries in modern times was one of integration, not disintegration. Mr Asquith afi&rmed that he strongly favoured self-government in regard to purely local affairs. He was unable to vote for the motion because it contained no explicit recognition of the continued paramount supremacy of the Imperial Parliament. Besides the party would not proceed with Home Rule in the lifetime of the present Parliament. He intended to vote against the amendment because it was a barren negation. Mr Healy violently attacked Mr Asquith. The amendment was rejected by 384 to 143, and the resolution carried by 315 to 157, after* Mr Simon’s addition that a Home Rule Parliament must be subject to the supreme authority of the Imperial “Parliament.

Received April 1, 7.55 a.m. London, March 31

The Daily Mail declares that Home Rule is buried for a decade, since Home Rule will not be an issue at the next general election.