Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-10
HOME-RULE.
IRE DEBATE CONTINUED IN PARLIA'
MENT YESTERDAY.
kr. Chamberlain Makes q Personal Expla.
nation and Discusses Glad
stones Scheme.

by Anglo-American cable to the Dispatch
LONDON, April 9.-When Edward
Henesge, who last evening resigned the
cbancellorship Of the Duchy Of Lancas-
ter, entered the House Of Commons
this afternoon be was cheered by the
Conservatives. lie took back seat
below the gangway.
On the opening Of the House several
Conservatives presented petitions
against the granting Of separate Par
lament to Ireland. Mr.. Gladstone en-.
tered the House at 5 o'clock. lie was
greeted with loud and hearty applause
by the Parnellite aud Radical members.
Mr.. Gladstone said that be hoped to
finish the debate ION the home-rule
bill on Monday next. He announced
that the budget would be introduced
and the Irish land bill on Thursday,
the latter being necessary supplement
to home-rule. He proposed that the
House adjourn for weeks holiday at
Easter.
Mr.. Chamberlain was received with
faint cheers upon rising to resume de-
bite.
He said that no rose more for the
purpose Of making = personal explana-
ton than with the object of entering
upon a detailed discussion Of the speech
of Mr.. Gladstone. Continuing, he said
that when be was asked to join the
Government he told Mr.. Gladstone
that he did not think it possible to
reconcile g separate Parliament at Dub.
lin, as demanded by the Irish men,
bers, with conditions Of full guarantee
for the security of the empire, and
Mr.. Gladstone informed him that
all be wanted then was an Independent
inquiry into the subject Of the govern
ment Of Ireland. He wrote letter to
Mr.. Gladstone on January Sd, in which
he explained that he could not consent
to the establishment of separate Par
lament in Dublin, and it was Oh that
understanding that he consented to
Join the Cabinet. He had presumed
from what Mr.. Gladstone told him that
the whole Cabinet would proceed step
by step in consultation to build a
scheme of home-rule not involving
separation. 1t was not until March
18th that Mr.. Gladstone startled the
Cabinet by bringing forward scheme
involving the issue Of Gl5O,OOO,OOO in
consols.
At this point Mr.. Gladstone, inter-
rupting, reminded Mr.. Chamberlain
that he had not received the permission
Of her Majesty's Government to reveal
land proposals.
Mr.. Chamberlain, continuing, said
that he would reserve his explanation.
lie did not resign on the land-purchase
proposals alone, but on the whole
scheme. Still, he asked, how could he
explain bis position if his hands were
tied? conservative cheers.l
lie asked if he might be permitted to
read his letter to Mr.. Gladstone.
Here an angry discussion took place
between Chamberlain and Gladstone.
he latter declared that he could not
go beyond the limits Of the permission
given Chamberlain, who thereupon
complained that his explanation would
be lame and incomplete. He would
never be able to justify his
conduct to the House and country.
lie took four principal objections to
the scheme for the government of Ire
land. The first was to the proposal to
exclude Irish members from Westmin-
ster; his second objection was to re-
nounciDg, as proposed, the exercise OF the
right Of imperial taxation in the third
place, he objected to the surrender Of
appointments Of judges and magistrates,
and finally, he objected to the supreme
authority given the Irish Parliament
in matters not specially excluded from
its authority.
Since he had left the Cabinet, he
said, an important change had been
made by retaining the power over GUS
toms and excise duties but the pro-
posal now appeared utterly inconsistent
with the principle that taxation and
representation should 60 together. lie
further objected to any scheme that
laid upon the British taxpayer tremen-
dous liability with excessive risk, as
such project could only be looked upon
as bride to modify the hostility of Irish
land owners to home-rule. lie did not
believe that the Irish people would agree
to be deprived Of all voice in the control
of matters and policies in which they
were deeply interested, and he asserted
that Ireland was being asked to occupy
a degrading position, to which the people
would never assent. A further contri-
button which Ireland was to be called
on to pay to the imperial treasury was
fixed by the scheme, and could not be
increased, even in case the United King
dem should be placed in position of
direct peril 4; and where then, he asked,
was the integrity OF the empire?
The financial question, he continued,
divided itself in two parts. English
taxpayers would object to any addi-
tional burden being thrown on them to
make good Irish deficiencies and Irish
tax.pay ers, if there were deficiency in
the budget owing to the failure Of excise
and custom duties, would be called on
to pay new taxes, failing in which,
the Government would be obliged
to repudiste their obligations. The
scheme would be accepted grudgingly,
and in the course Of two years there
would be an attempt to revise or alter
it. AS for himself, rather than face the
future agitation which would be certain
to prevail between the two countries
rather than face the distractions and
foreign complications which would
arise by having a quasi independent
Government, he would vote for separa-
ton, pure and simple. Loud cheers
The opponents Of the Governments
scheme were told that the only alterna-
tive was coercion. That was not his
alternative. Agrarian discomfort had
arisen chiefly through evictions by land
lords. He would propose to deprive
the landlords of the power to evict for
six months, guaranteeing them six
months lent, the land being security
for the sum advanced. During this