The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-05

With that amendment. the bill might be
worth considering.
what tho Unionists Say About Home
Rule.
It is generally admitted that the Union
lists must stand or fall on the arguments
against home rulo brought forward by Mr..
LEONARD H. COURTNEY In a speech recently
delivered to his Cornish constituents. OF oil
tho Liberals who rebelled against Mr..
GLADSTONE in 1886. Mr.. COURTNEY lie. with
the possible exception Of Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN.
the most conspicuous for Parliamentary
experience and for ability. The position
which he holds In tho House Of Commons
may be described as that OF Vlce-Speaker:
that is to say. whenever the House goes
| into Committee OF the Whole. he IL the Chair
man. Far from being partial to the Union
lists in the discharge OF his functions. he has
been thought to err on the other side. for
his rulings have often been 30 favorable to
the Irish Nationalist as to provoke COM
plant on the part Of those who clothed him
with authority. No one believes that he is
animated by interested motives. or by race
antlpathy. or by any impelling force except
sincere conviction In his opposition to home
rule. He is. therefore. peculiarly qualified
to state the objections against the proposed
bestowal Of separate government on
Ireland. and II. even as he puts them. the
objections will not bear analysis. the case
OF the Unionists must fall to the ground.
Mr.. OoURTNEY's arguments may be
summed up as follows: In the first place.
home rule bill could not effect its funda-
n ktAt, {o kLn
pacifcation Of Ireland. Why2 Because
one section Of tho Irish people. the Prot
estants OF Ulster. declare that they will fight
sooner than submit to a Dublin Govern
ment: while the other and much larger SEQ
ton. the Nationalists. Is split into at least
two fractions. which have already begun to
boycott one another. and which cannot
agree even as to the scope Of the conces-
sions which they demand at the hands OF
the imperial Parliament. In the second
place. should q homo rule bill be passed in
spite Of these objections. it would not. in
Mr.. CouRTNEYs opinion. provo workable.
Why2 Because the concession Of home
rule to Ireland. coupled as 1t would be with
the retention Of Irish members at Westmin-
ster. would involve an extension Of the
samo principle to England. Wales. and
Scotland. But it will. Mr.. COURTNEY
thinks. prove impractlcable to so separate
the functions Of the local legislature
from those OF the imperial assem-
bly, as to avert friction and interior
ence: and the consequences Of such
friction will prove so mischievous that the
scheme after short time will be aban-
doned. This conclusion Mr.. COURTNEY bases
on tho experience of New Zealand. where
tho provincial legislatures made such de-
mands for help on the central Parliament.
that In 1878. after some twenty-three years
trial. the federal system was discarded and
the local assemblies we're suppressed. Mr..
COURTNEY draws like deduction from the
experience OF Canada, where the apportion-
ment Of revenue among the Canadian prov
inoes Is not only the greatest difficulty with
which the central Government has to deal.
but is becoming the political poison Of ca
madam life. With these two precedents
before him. Mr.. COURTNEY believes that II
Ireland obtains home rule one Of the worst |
results will be the temptation Of British |
Governments to win over Irish politicians |
by holding out to them the bride Of lower |
ing Irelands contribution to the imperial |
e1chequer. or increasing her share OF any
revenue common to the two islands.
The objection founded on the buster OF |
the Orangemen may be dismissed with |
smile. That the Unionists constitute the |
even Of the inhabitants OF Ulster.
Is proved by the fact that majority OF the
seats allotted to that province were carried
by the Nationalists at the last general cleo
ton. II We look at the popular vote. the
Of strength Is even greater.
Tor many OF the Nationalist candidates were
by immense msjorities. The
Orange talk about resistance to On act Of
that Is to say, to the recorded
will Of the United Kingdom. was heard on
'ormer occasion. and 1t will prove as empty
hereafter as it was before. When Mr..
GLADSTONE proposed the dlsestablishment
of the Anglican Church in Ireland. the
fathers Of the men who are now threaten
ing to rebel II home rule bill Is passed,
declared that they were ready at the beat
Of the drum to shoulder their rifles and
march to the Boyne. The Anglican Church
In Ireland was. however. disestablished, vet
not rifle was shouldered nor was drum.
beat heard. The attitude OF menace now
again assumed by the Unionists in Ulster.
Is universally recognized as an electioneer-
Ing trick. and is not likely to influence
single vote in Great Britain.
The schism in the Irish Nationalist party
Is undoubtedly a grave misfortune. but
mainly because 1t has rendered the collec-
ton OF campaign funds In the United States
difficult. and because. conse-
quentty. the Irish patriots. being crippled
in their resources. may lose some Of the
seats which they now hold. 1t Is i'd
mitted on all hands that the Redmondites
will be considerably weaker In tho next
House Of Commons than they are in this.
and 1t Is quite possible that the Mccarthy
ties also may undergo some losses. No one
doubts. however. that the two factions
taken together will constitute large ma
jority OF the Irish members. and will. there
fore. collectively be qualified to proclaim
the will OF ireland. Nor is there any
reason to believe that Redmondites and
will differ materially ma IN |