HOME RULE AND IMPERIAL FEDERATION.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 430, 21 December 1889, Page 3

HOME RULE AND IMPERIAL FEDERATION.

A recent number of the "Westminister Review " has an able article on the intimate relation between Home Rule for Ireland and Imperial Federation. We have, on more than one occasion, expressed in these columns our views on this momentous question^ and we do so again, partly because of its great importance, and partly because the writer in the " Westminster Review " follows precisely the same line of argument in dealing with this question as we did, arriving at the same conclusion. We were not , aware, however, until reading the article in question, that jMr Tarnell himself had publicly expressed similar opinions. The writer says, I' There is every reason to believe that if Home Rule and Imperial Federation were looked upon as part ,of one comprehensive scheme, much of the prejudice against the tormor would be removed from the minds of its more moderate and reasonable opponents. Mr Parnell himself, with hie usual political sagacity, has clearly recognised this fact, as is shown by his correspondence with a leading South African colonist, in which he regards the two measures as closely connected with one another." In our lasfc article on this subject, we pointed out that the delay in pressing this matter forward was due to the fear on the part of the Conservative party at Home of the democratic tendencies of the colonies. They instinctively felt that if an Imperial Parliament were elected, composed of representatives from the whole Empire, the democratic element in it would be so powerful as to revolutionise existing Conservative institutions. The writer in the 41 Westminster Review " thus gently deals j with this aepect of the question. He says, •' Thattheproposalfor closer union(between Britain and her colonies) would bo beneficial, if practicable, to the Country at largo, will hardly be denied, and the aiguments against its possibility do not appear to have much weight. In what way ib is inconsistent with any Liberal idea, ib is difficult to see, and if Liberals generally would bring themselves to regard ib as tho natural counterpart of Irish Homo Rule, they would clearly demonstrate the utter absurdity of the charge against them of desiring the dismemberment of the Empire. It is probable that some influence might be exercised on English politics by tho increased closeness of the connection with the a colonies, but such influence would be indirect, and would in all propability be of a character which should not be objectional from a Liberal point of view, for the constitutions ot all our self governing colonies are decidedly democratic in principle, to a degree bj- no means yet reached in this country, fiyen after "all recent measures of reform. 1 ' The writer evidently draws a clear and distinct line between Conservative opposition to federation and Home Rule,and Liberal opposition to the same thing. The former can easily be understood', the latter, if sincere in their avowed political platform, instead of throwing obstacles in tho way, should assist the movement by every means in their "power. The writer recognises the difficulty that many have in intimately connecting Home Rule with Imperial Federation, for in his opening remarks he says, " The question of Imperial Federation is not altogether an unfamiliar one at the present time. Few persons have not at least heard of it, and most persons have, ib may bo presumed, some comprehension of its meaning, so as to attach some sort of idea to the name, at all events. The idea thus attached is, however, in the majority of cases rather hazy, and still more hazy in all probability are the minds of the general public as to the bearing of the subject upon the lr.ore immediately pressing matter of Home Rule for Ireland. Those who have thought at all about the connection between the two schemes, often consider them as proposa's, which in their nature must be essentially antagonistic to each other. They tend it will be said in precisely opposite directions, and it cannot be denied that this view has considerable plausability." He argues, however, and in this he i 3 backed up by Mr Parnell, that the two are inseparably connected, and that whon this is clearly recognised, the foolish prejudice existing in some minds against Home Rule for Ireland will entirely disappear.