Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 1911. HOME RULE BILL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10225, 29 April 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 1911. HOME RULE BILL.

Speaking a few weeks back in 'the House of Common sj Mr Winston Churchill stated that "every British Colony would "light bonfires on receiving the news of the passage of a Home Rule Bill." This was probably a figure of speech from a politician whose enthusiasm in great national undertakings knows no bounds. It is a fact, however, that absorbing interest is manifested in the overseas Dominions in the attempt which is being made by the Liberal Government to solve a problem which has defied the efforts of successive Ministries for centuries past. What is the nature of the Home Rule Bill which is now proposed ? The Prime Minister (Right Hon. H. H. Asqulth) recently defined it as "The creating in, Ireland of an Irish Parliament, withi an Irish Executive responsible to that Parliament to deal with! purely Irish affairs, subject always to the indefeasible supremacy of the Imperial Parliament." one wh« has sat in this House," said Mr Asquithy * "can fail to ; feel what I Seel, having sat | here for twenty-fit© years, /with increasing energy oi conviction every year that we are totally incapable of giving

either the time or the knowledge, to the investigation and administration of these matters, which may seem petty to us, but which to Irishmen, living on the spot are of vital importance. I hear the word 'Scotland.' I quite agree. I have been a Scotch member ever since I have been in the House, and Scotland suffers also from this congestion of business from this limitation of time and of human power in a Parliament which represents three kingdoms as well as Wales. Wales is a very conspicuous illustration of the incapacity demonstrated by experience of this Parliament—a gigantic Housecharged 'with the whole affairs of the Empire to give the requisite time, attention, and knowledge to local afFairs of the constituent parts of the United Kingdom. I have always said, and I repeat it now, that the case of Ireland is one paramount in urgency and importance, and I believe that the policy which I presented to the country on behalf of my, friends and supporters at the last general election is the only one by which we can arrive at a satisfactory solution of this standing problem." The Premier concluded by saying: "We look forward to see I French and English, Boer and Briton, >it and Sason, each-bringing his ~wi tr;l utary, Tningliig i-heii' confluent waters in the stream of I Imperial unity—one Throne, one Empire, one People, diverse in origin and in race, but all alike charged and endowed in the fullest measure with the liberty and responsibility of self-government in their own local affairs. That surely is the goal of a really true Imperialist, and it is to that goal that our steps are set." Mr Redmond, the Irish leader, accepted without qualification the Prime Minister's definition of Home Rule. He eaid that what his party meant by Home Rule was an Irish Parliament, with an Executive responsible to it. The policy declared by Mr Asquith was, he believed, a policy thai would be a final settlement. Having laid *tress on the argument that Great Britain alone had returned a majority of 60 for Home Rule, he repudiated the charge that he was a separatist; he was a Home Ruler because he desired to see peace and amity between the two nations. His party admitted Imper-

ial supremacy and invited the House to make, it .effective. As to intolerance, he asserted with emphasis that no man who knew history could bring a oharge of intolerance against the mass of the Irish people, and he would not aboept a solution of the problem which they had to solve if under it oppression or injustice could jbe perpetuated. But oppression of i Protestants was just one of these ) things which the supremacy of Par- } liament could prevent.