The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-07-22 00:00:00

MR. BUTT ON "HOME RULE FOR

IRELAND."

Mr. Butt, Q.C., delivered a lecture on Monday
evening in the Birmingham Town Hall, on" Home
Rule for Ireland." In the course of the lecture Mr.
Butt said that if men who were more interested in
keeping the peace of Ireland and putting down crime
than any English Parliament could be, were to meet in
Dublin, he ventured to say that they would in one
mouth tranquilize any part of Ireland without resortffig
to such measures an the Westmeath Bill But it was
because the (lovernment was not in unison with Irish
sentiment, for want of a proper representative body,
because Irish legislation was carried on by those who
diut not understand the Irish people, that measures were
passed which were worse than anything that had been
enacted for Poland or Naples, worse than anything
now practically enforced in the dominiouna of the
Sultan. Would any one say it was not a monstrous
thing that if any town in the north of Ireland
wanted a gas bill it must send over to England, spend
£2,000 or 0,000, and then have theauatter referred to
a committee that knew nothing about it. Would it
, not be better to send it to a tribunal in Dublin ? But
was it not the saute principle that if Westmeath Arm
in a diaturbed state, a tautly of gentlemen ill Iffildin
wont I be DIM: likely to find a remedy than a body of
gentlenten in London? Ile might be asked what
things he would leave to the Imperial Parliament. awl
what to the local Parliament. Ile would leave to the
former everything connected with the dignity and
honour of the Crown, the succession to the Crown, the
army and navy, peaks and war, 'lndia, the Colonies -
all that concerned Imperial questions ; lust if it were a
umettion if supine u big tumult in Westmeath, or 44
Irish railways, our of anything of that nature, let the
Irish Parliament, comp ....I of gentlemen who under-
' stood their own country and their own business,
deal with it. In cc -aril to Canada Parliament had
found no difficulty m defining such matters. Four
or five Englishmen and four or five Irishmen
meeting together in a spirit of candour coulul
settle every question that was likely to arise. He
did not say there would be no difficulty ; in counte of
time, •if coin-se, there would be. No political measure
ever vet framed had been free fnum difficulty; but
could they shut their eyes to the fact that there was
difficulty now ? If they wished to keep Ireland by
their side it friend and nut a foe, their aturen;,-th anst ~et
their Weakne,+, let them give her that instinitiu its. hith
haul never yet failed in reconciling Dien b. their govern-
ta,nt a free and uupen Parliament to manage her own
affairs. He heed lel speak of fears uuf Ruumitu I 'atholie
”1. Protettaut a. cendancy. He believusl every num
who plelgeul himself to IZllle hl Ireland pledged
himself to 'wriest religiu its inality. and any man who
would dare to cry " No Popery " awl " ll,sne Rule"
hi the same breath was either an idiot a knave. It
was very easy to settle that questiuun hy adopting the
principle if the American States, and saying that the
Irish Parliament sin add net IT haVe the !tower to Meddle
with any religion, que,tion, lint shoulul leave it to the
Imperial Parliament. Ile -corned the Irish Pro-
testant who feared to Lust himself in his own country.
The Catholics if Ireland haul no wish to attack tie
liberties of their Protestant countrymen. Miserable
dissentious haul divided hublumen, and they could not
help charging it on the English I louvernment that it had
tun atraged them ;but the English people were not respon-
sible for the crimes of g,overnmentw He wanteul the
English people to disavow those crimes, and take their
place bauble their Irish brethren in the battle of
freedom which both had to fight. In conclusion Mr.
Butt declared he believed in his conscience that Home
Rule usuuld content the Irish people, anul mail that
since the question haul been raised there haul been an
absence of political agitation ill irelallll. 31,1w:thud
to the English workmen to stand Ily their Irishbrethren,
with whom they were bound in toil by bonds far
stronger than those which bound together the rich and
the aristocrats. Let Ireland be contenttsl, and
England, Ireland, and Scotland would forni a league
against which all despots combined might dash them-
selves in Vain.