HOME RULE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9696, 21 January 1910, Page 5

HOME RULE.

A PLEDGE DENIED.

SCATHING COMMENT

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright. Received January 20, 8.5 a.m. LONDON, January 19. The Right Hon. J. A. Pease, ecretaiy to the Treasury, and Chief Liberal Whip, in a further speech to the electors of Sarffon Waldon, said that Mr Asquith, in his Albert Hall speech, gave no pledge that Home Rule would be given to Ireland. What the Prime Minister said was that the ban which the Liberals, had imposed upon themselves at the last election was removed, and that Liberals were free, if they so desired, to extend self-Government to Ireland; but every ne in the Government was pledged not to give the Irish an independent Parliament, but self-Gvernment, consistent with union. The Dublin correspondent of "The Times" says that Mr Pease's statements have created consternation among the Nationalists. The election is being fought in Ireland on the question of Home Rule. It is assumed that Mr Asquith, after Saturday's polling, expected a majority independent of the Nationalists' vote, and directed his Whip to disown the Albert Hall undertaking. "The Times" "adds:;— "Mr Pease pxplains, but only when the borough elections are nearly over, that Mr Asquith really meant nothing particular at the Albert Hall. The county elections in which the Irish vote is insignificant, are beginning, and the Liberals hope to profit by repudiation of an intention upon which they had hitherto been trading. "The late Sir William Harcourt's expression, 'A dirty trick,' fittingly describes the manoeuvre. What is now meant is that a Home Rule Bill will only be introduced if it serves the party purpose."

STATEMENT BY MR ASQUITH.

Received January 21, 12.10 .am. LONDON, January 20. Mr H. H. Asquith, in a speech at Fife, declined to promise legislaticn of any kind till he had settled conclusions with the House of Lords. That permanent obstacle must be' removed, and till that was done it was no use talking about legislation. The Liberal party were free to support any measures giving Ireland self government in purely Irish affairs, subject to the unimpaired supremacy of the Imperial Parliament.