IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 65, 9 November 1912, Page 2

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

HOME RULE BILL

(By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.) London, November 8.

The House of Commons has begun the discussion of Irish finance. It will occupy seven sittings. Mr Herbert Samuel, in moving the resolutions, said the Irish deficit must be taken as the dominant factor. It was inconsistent with the essence of Horae Rule that the dificit rests for all time on the British taxpayer, but the burden' could not immediately be thrown on Ireland. Therefore it was necessary that nominal increments of revenue should go to the Imperial Exchequer until ■ the accounts were balanced. The Bill did not give fiscal autonomy. In no federation did a province involve the central exchequer in an annual loss. Therefore Ireland was different from all federal precedents.

Mr Austen Chamberlain said that the Government proposal broke every federal precedent. Because Ireland had a deficit it was granted greater powers than the local legislature of any fedoration. The financial scheme healed no old feuds, but opened new ones. Mr William O’Brien said the proposal stripped the Irish of the control of five-sixths of their own taxation. Mr Lloyd George said that England was giving nothing not already givey, to Ireland. It was dishonest to assert that England was finding two millions to finance Homo Rule.

Mr Bonar Law (Leader of the Opposition) contrasted the action of New South Wales in sacrificing her system of freetrade to secure union with the action of England, who was sacrificing it not for union but for disintegration. The resolution was carried by 320 to 187, with the aid of the guillotine. A memorandum representing the views of seventy Liberal Commoners is being circulated at Westminster. It opposes clauses 15 and 16, permitting the Irish Parliament to reduce or increase the Customs duties, and the giving of this power, it argues, is calcinated to lead to the erection of Customs barriers, and urges the Government to leave the matter unfettered to the decision of the House.

A RAILWAY BILL

London, November 7

The Prime Minister, in the House of Commons, said that the Government was introducing a Railways Bill in 1913; meanwhile they were introducing a one-clause Bill this session, to fulfil a promise made during the strike.