New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-25
HOME RULE MUST COME.
HOUSE OF COMMONS,

WEsrMINsIER. May. 1882.
was talking lately with clever English LADY
who bears a famous family name, on the subject OK
Irish obstruction in the House of Commons she
told me she was satisfied that there must be some
deliberate meanir : and policy in It, and she asked
me to explain to her my ideas on the matter.
told her what regarded as the purpose of obstruc-
tion. She listened very attentvely, and then said:
Yes | understand you want to waKen up man
who Is fast asleep, and you find you have to shout
loudly: but you don want it to be supposed tha1
you consider a shout the proper tone for ordinary
Hfcv This lady exactly described the purpose and
the policy of Irish obstruction The English Parlla-
ment was asleep far as Irish claims were con-
cerned. For years, for generations the House OF
Commons had been accustomed to have a formal
debate two every session on some Irish question:
and then to take a division and be done with the
matter until next year came round Nothing was
advancing From 1880 to 1870 the land question
had not advanced one single step. In 1870 it made
a movement owing to Mr.. Gladstone's courage and
energy. and the Land b such as 1t was got passed
into law Then che land question was about to 90
to see p again. In Mr.. Butts time, in Mr. Shaws
short period OF leadership we were falling back to
the annual debate on the land question, and the
annual debate on Home Rule and nothing else.
Irish obstruction was deliberately adopted for
the purpose of compelling the English majority TO
see tnat the grievances Of Ireland must be dealt
with once for all. In the House Of Commons tho
majority is so Overwhelmingly agaIns, Ireland
that so far as mere numbers and divisions 20, Ire
land light as well have no representation whatever
in Parliament Then the House of Commons itself
is domineered over by landlords and by capitalists
The peers are moi only masters in their own House
of Lords but they 20 very near to being masters III
our House Of Commons. A great number OF tho
representatives of the people on both sides OF tho
House of Commons are the elder and younger SONS,
the brothers. the nephews and the &C usns OF peers
The Army ana Navy send many members 10 the
House of Commons. On the Tory side the great
majority of the members are landlords. On tue
Liberal side those who are not landlords are Tor
the most part capitalists In such House what
chance would Irish claims have of being heard III
Irish members left them 10 find their way to the
ears and the understandings of members by the ord-
nary channels We might have our debate on Homo
Rule and our debate on the land question every
session. The majority of the House would never
listen TO the debate, nor take the smallest interest
in finding out ANYTHING about it. It would be re-
earled as a pure formality. We should make our
speeches to each other preaching to the converted
and when the speeches were done the division
bell would ring. and the majority would come rush.
ing and tumbng in from the dnlng-rOoms and tho
smoking-rooms and the terrace and the library and
would vote against us and outyOte us. We had
had enough of this sort of thing, and had lost all
faith in it. We have now forced the claims OF Ire
land so directly on the attention of the House OF
Commons that it would be absolutely impossible to
leave them out of sight. We have shown that f
we cannot directly compel the Government and tho
Parliament to deal fairly with the claims of Ire
land we can at least prevent them from accom-
plishing any other business. Mr.. Gladstone and his
colleagues ale this year trying to remodel the Par
iamentary forms of procedure i'll order to be able
to pre- vent from in terfering with the smooth prog
ress OF the ordinary business Of Parliament They
have not yet succeeded in accomplishing the
change and indeed it is quite evident that nothing
more can be done in the matter tins session. But
no change thar human ingenuity can devise could
prevent a resolute minority of men from eiiecting
what is called obstruction OF business IN an
assembly like the House of Commons, so long as
any right of speech is allowed there to the minority
at all. 1t would be weariSome ana unnecessary to
20 into a heightened explanation of this to Amcri-
can readers, but they may take it on my authority
that this is So anu that there is only one way Of
dealing with Irish obstruction IN Parliament, and
that is to show inclination to listen to the de-
mands made on behalf of Ireland. and to set about
redresslng Irish grievances.
Now fully believe that obstruction has already
achieved this object. Its historical Justification
will be found in its results. | believe the land
question will be settled on the basis laid down by
the Land League. The Land League, despite all
the tremendous Outcry made against 1t, only sec
forth as its journey end and very soamark of its
utmost SAIL the transfer OF the soil OF Ireland from
its landlord posSessors into the hands OF peasant
owners and culiyators py the fair process of state
intervention and purchase. Russia, the poorest
country in Europe for her size and her responsible
ties and at time when she still shattered and
drained by the cost of the CrImean War paid ono
hundred millions OF POM Is sterling TO secure their
land to her emancpated serfs We ask no such
sacrifice, nor anything remotely approaching tot,
from England, a country incomparaby richer than
Russia. We ask rather the help of her State
security, her credit, her guarantee, for time,
than any sacrifice; at all events than any consider
able sacrifice. of ner money. | fully believe that
this will be accomplished in the end, that the State
WILL and before long, go lar as to agree to buy
out any landlord who is at present willing to sell.
and that thus the programme of the Land League
will come into gradual development and accom-
plishment.
Home Rule I take it, Is not far of. Everywhere
in English society we find growing up the convc-
ton that a Parliament in Westminster cannot
manage the affairs of the people of Ireland and
indeed that the present centralized system of doing
business IN Westminster. OF managing there all tho
local affairs of England, Ireland, Scotland and
Wales, is of necessity failure. TO where you will
now ih London and in England, you lind the mnds
OF English people awake TO the importance of this
question of Home Rule. and willing to admit that
there is much to be said for 1t. The June nj mber
OF nc Nineteenth Century, just published contains
an article in support of Home Rule by the Marquis
OF Bandford, eldest son of the Duke Of Marl.
borough, lately Lord Lieutenant of Ireland-that