THE "LARGER POLICY” FOR IRELAND.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43067, 12 March 1907, Page 4

THE " LARGER POLICY” FOR IRELAND.

It Was cabled the other day that the Earl of Crewe, Lord President jof the Council, who was Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland from 1892 to 1895, in a speetohi at Lancaster, said the measure to be introduced .shortly by the Government dealing with the government of Ireland was not incompatible with the “larger policy” which might Jbe advanced at some future day if the three kingdoms desired it- The “larger policy” was referred to by Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman in; a recent speech!, which was reported 1 : as follow®: “In reference to Ireland,the Prime Minister said that, like the people of every self-governing colbny, th© Irish people were entitled to the management of their own affairs. That was the larger policy he had previously referred to. It might not be rear sonable or desirable to give all at once, but the Government hoped , to remove obviously objectionable fear tures in the present system in sujob a. way as to leave the larger policy open.” Following on this came the Opposition criticism of the Government as aiming at Home Rule by instalments, instead of declaring for Home Rule straight out; a criticism which was epitomised in the remark of Mr Balfour (Leader of the Opposition) —‘‘Why take two bites at the cherry?” Subsequently the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Asquith) stated 1 that the introduction of a Home Rule Bill was out of the question this Parliament. He had 'previously stated that any atempt to use ai maojrity obtained at the general elections for freetrade, in order to pass a Home Rule Bill, would be political dishonesty.