The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-02-19
INSULT IN. I. TO IRELAND.
Tho Irish Government Bill Pre-
sonted in Parliament.
DENOUNCED IN SCA7RING TERMS

DENOUNCED In SCATHING TERMS
by tho observation-disclosures Explu.
nations Of Its Fcnturcs Received
With Chccrs.-- Irish and Liberal
Leaders Say It is tho Crownins In.
rhniy and Adds Insult TO Injury to
the Downtroddcn Country.-.somc
Very Spicy Speeches Delivered In
Reply to tho Secretary.
LoSDoH, Feb. ls.-Thc long talked OF
Irish local government bill was intro
duced in the house OF commons to-day
by Mr.. Baltour amid tho cheers OF the
government supporters, In introduc-
ing the bill Mr.. Dalfour said TINT ever
since tho formation OF the present gov
crnment, and even before, the eXtcn-
sion OF local gocernmont to every part
OF the United Kingdom had been q
cardinal point OF tho Conservatives
policy. That intention, hc declared,
had been constantly adhered to and re-
itcratcd since by tho government. They
had introduced two local government
bills for England and Scotland. If they
had the same for Ireland it must have
been because great specific and obvious
dangers attended such course. The
present bill was not merely county
councils bill, but it was what in Eng
land would bc described as q district
and counties bill. BY its provisions ad-
ministratiyc duties will bo given to
baronial councils, leaving wholly un-
touched tho judicial duties now ontrust-
ed to the grand jury. The members OF
the county and baronial councils will
be elected every three years. The gov
crnment proposed following the Scotch
rather than the English measure.
There undoubtedly existed large
body of fpcoplc in Ireland who dreaded
4 measure OF this kind. 1t was only
due to those persons to examine the
fear they entertained. They feared the
new system would result in extrava.
gancc, possibly corruption. In tho
first county councils he said there
would be four eS-oiilcio membors-the
lord lieutenant OF the county. the sher-
i'll, Il nominee Of the grand Jury and a
nominee OF the presentment sessions.
Mr.. Balfour said that the county
councils would have the combined du-
ties OF county and prescntmertc councils
and OF grand juries regarding admins
trativo affairs. They will also be en-
powered If necessary TO take over the
duties OF rural sanitary authorities. The
councils vii! appoint the county cor
oners. They will bo empowered to ac-
quire woods and plantations, and thus
assist the operation Of the land pur-
chase act. Thirteen existing municipal
boroughs will be bemadeseparatc counties,
having all the powers OF counties. Tho
council where county is too, largo will
bo divided to correspond with division
OF the county, each division olecting
fifteen members. The system OF fran
chisc suggested, said Mr. Balfour, would
give the minority vote in the county
councils. The councils might use their
powers to oppress small minority and
might be guilty OF wiful and persistent
corruption. Irish jeers.] Tho history
OF Ireland proved that these reminders
had a reality. Such dangers did not
exist in England. Provision was made
to allow. twenty cess payers to apply
to Il judge OF assiZcs for leave
to petition for the removal OF the coun-
cillors OF q barony or county [ironical
opposition cheers on the ground that
the councillors were guilty OF persist
ent disobcdience OF the law, corruption,
or oppression. The matter would be
tried like an election petition and ttho
charge was established the guilty coun-
cillors would be replaced by the nomi-
nees of the lcrd lieutenant, [ironical
cheers If malvcrsation and oppres-
sion were possible, it! was the duty OF
the house to provide an adequate REM
cdY. Such dangers existed in ireland
to an extent unknown in England and
Scotland. e .s5.Yt -
In reply to q question asked by Mr.
Healy, Mr.. Balfour said tho bill would
not affect the police system OF Ireland.
and that the incident OF taxation would
remain rs it waa at present. n rr
John Morley characterized the bill as
"the rottenest reed tho Irish minority
had ever leant on for the retention OF
privileges" He declared that the meas.
urc was framed i'll absolute distrust OF
the Irish peoplc-ih fact, on the .assump-
ton that they were 'dcbased helots."
Tho whole opposition broke forth
into cheers when Mr.. Morley called on
the government to 60 before the people
on tho measure. In concluding he
affirmed that the bill was mockcry Of
ferod to tho house; that it was u ialsiii-
cation OF tho pledges OF tho government,
and that it furnished grounds for the
manifestation OF further Irritation in
Ireland.
John Redmond protested against the
measure as y sham bill.
Justin Mccarthy, in the course OF
his remarks, advised The government to
burn tho bill, declaring that the nation.
aists would reject it as IN unclean
thing.
Mr.. Healy said he, never know OF
more contcmptible bill. 1t was IN ab.
solute failure, ho said, and died in the:
mouths OF its proposers.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt said
that bill more insulting to the Irish
he could not conceive OF. 1t; bore the
stamp of Mr.. Chamberlain, who was the
mother OF the bin. Sir William ridi-
cn!ed tho idea OF county council of
tried judges. a.
Mr.. Balfour denied that the bill was
insulting to Ireland. The opposition
speeches., he said, showed the insin-
cerity OF the local government for Ire
land. II owing to obstruction tho pres
ent bill should not be passed, local gov
crnmont Tor Ireland would be indetin-
.itely postponed. The only reason WHY