SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL ON HOME RULE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 90, 16 January 1875, Page 11

SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL ON HOME RULE.

At the recent Social Science Congress in Glasgow, Sir George Campbell (ex-Lieutenant Governor of Bengal), read the departmental address on " Currency and Trade," in which he made forcible statements in favor of Home Rule. Referring to the overwork of Parliament, he said : — Every day it becomes more and more apparent that our Parliament is far too large and unwieldly a machine to deal with all the requirements of modern society. When great measures and great experiments are necessary we find its time frittered away on small and local measures. The machine is too large and cumbrous. Believing, then, that the social reforms which we require must necessitate many experiments in many directions ; that to effect them we must enlist local expei'ience, local energies, and local interests ; that one Parliament cannot do this, but that localized institutions may do it, I am so far a Home Ruler that I should like to see a large \ portion of our self-government transferred to local assemblies. In this respect, at any rate, I would, in a great degree, imitate the American system. I think that very much of the management of Irish affairs might be transferred to an Irish House of Representatives, or probably rather to two separate Assemblies, representing two Irish provinces, North and South. I think that a very largp portion of our Scottish affairs might be much better managed in a Scotch Assembly. It may be that England might advantageously be split up into provinces. I feel confident that such Provincial Assemblies might do great good, and that very ample work would still be left for an Imperial Parliament. Not only might many social reforms receive in local assemblies that attention and elaboration -which they cannot have in a great Parliament of the nation, but also I think that there would be very great advantage in the variety of local experiments which might be tried in different parts of ihe country and under various conditions. One province would profit by the experience, the successes, and the failures of another, a healthy competition would be excited, and out of various trials progress real and substantial might be achieved. The difficulties in our way are so great that they will never bo evercome without the concurrent efforts of many minds and as the issue of many trials. Such efforts and such trials might, I think, be obtained under a sort of federal and provincial system of government. Ido not think that they will be adequately obtained under the present system." The question is often asked — "What effect can the Irish Home Rule agitation have ? Here is au answer. The Irish Home Rulers in one year have brought the idea of federal union, which is now discussed at every learned meeting in Great Britain. A good deal has been done in getting the question fairly before the country. Eveiy such utterance as this is valuable, as showing how sound is the present political agitation in Ireland.