Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-13
COMMITTED FOR TnIAL.
THE IRISH LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL
It's Main Provisions and Its Prospects
Conservative Leader Chamberlain.
copyrighted, 1892, by the New York Associated
Press.

copyrighted, 1892, by the New York Associated
Press
LosDoy, February 12.-Until Mr. Bal
four introduces the Irish local government
bill on Thursday next, the proceedings In
Parliament will be mere party skirmish:
ing. Many members will not appear till
the leader of the House of Commons ex-
plains the nature of the measure on
which the government is expected
to appeal to the country. Though the
ministers decline to satisfy politicians
who crave TO know the gist OF the irish
proposals, the draft of the bill which IS
now in type is known to contain host of
clauses rivalling in complexity MIR. Bal
tours land act. A high informant describes
it as IN substance an application of the
English County Council act, without adj
herring strictly to existing county areas.
Provisions OF THE MEASURE.
With view TO protect the minority
that is. the Conservative strengthen dis
tricts where the national vote is also
strong, arbitrary electoral boundaries are
created. AS in England. three-fourths of
the members of each council are to be
elected by the rate-payers, portion OF
the rest by the councillors, and GER
tain number by the Irish executive.
The councils are to have control of
the local police, excepting the appoint
of licensing, the administration of the
poor laws. asylums. industrial schools, and
prisons. excepting stated government
prisons, and roads ndpubllc works. The
imperial police are TO be maintained in
lessened force. As an appendix TO the bill
is another measure transferring Irish pri-
vate-bill business, now heard at West
minister. to the local courts. con-
ference of Irish landlords recently
sent to Mr.. Balfour, through the Duke OF
Abercorn, demand that clergymen be
excluded from the county boards. the aim
being TO deprive the priests of influence.
Mr.. Balfour declined TO comply with the
wishes OF the landlords.
Mr.. GLADSTONE
tonight wired that he will reappear in the
House of Commons on the 22d instant IN
time for the debate on the second reading
OF the measure.
The Irish leaders of both groups declare
their readiness to adopt what they can OF
Mr. Balfour's proposals, but they also con-
cur that the bill will be found in the main
impossible of acceptance. An early result
Of the combined attack on this bill will be
a reunion of the Irish party. when both
groups will cooperate for "a common end
and faction will disappear. The decision
of the Parnellite section not TO appoint
recognized leader shows that they feel that
the tine for reunion Is near.
Mrs. Joseph Chamberlain. the Duke of
Deyonsbire. and Earl and Countess Dud-
ley. and host of other persons Of high
rank and title were in the gallery of the
House of Commons yesterday evening to
hear
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN,
who achieved distinct triumph in his
brilliant arrangement of the Liberals The
pungency of his attack drew frequent
cheers from the Conservatives. His allu-
s;ons 10 the alliance between the McCar-
Invites and the Gladstoneans seemed TO
delight the little band of Parnellites. His
answer 10 Sir William Vernon Harcourt's
charge that Lord Salisbury's Exeter speech
was an insult to Catholics was most effec-
tive. bir. Chamberlain quoted passage
from AIR. Gladstone's writings which says;
"To secure rights rs the aim OF Chris;
establish the resistless domIneering action
of q purely central power is the aim of the
Roman policy"
Mr.. Chamberlain also quoted similar
massage from MIR. Morley's writings. Then
he asked: lis it not strange that the
Gladstoneans may steal horse when We
cannot look over the bedge!"
MR. MORLEY
in his reply did not add to his reputation.
His speech was angry in tone. and he was
evidently unprepared for the attack. He
made some good points in the early part
Of his speech, but soon became dull and
confused.
Thirty.one Liberal members. including
MIR. John Henry Madden. who was recent
ly elected,to succeed Lord Harrington as
member for the Rossendsle division of
Lancashire, supported the amendment Of
tered by MIR. Redmond. Sir William YER
non Harcourt and Mr.. John Morley (Libe-
rals) voted with the majority, which con-
e,stad mainly of Unionists.