Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-02-23


bend its full significance. Some of its
chief features can be outlined, however.
The most important OF all the provisions OF
tho hi Il, is the proposal of an Irish Parliu-
ment to sit at Dublin. There are to be "A
Senate OF forty eight members and lower
house of 1903. The powers of this Parlis-
ment ara to be important. 1t is virtually
to rule Ireland, because, with the eighty
members OF the House of Commons, the
ministry that would render nugatory any
measure of the Dublin Parliament would in
vite disaster.
The members of the legislative couucil, or
upper house, are to be elected by a con-
stituency associated with ratable value
Of e20, " and to hold Office for eight years,
and members OF the legislative assembly are
to have a shorter term Of service. To avert
the danger of political deadlock the bill
provides that Sin case where n bill has been
adopted by the assembly more than once,
and where there is an interval of two years
between the two adoptions, or dissolution
OF Parliament then, upon its second adop-
ton the two assemblies may be required to
meet and the fate of the bill is to be decided
the privy council, to which Mr.. Gladstone
refers as 'the only approach we can make
to the Supreme Court of the United
States
Conditions are exacted that the Irish do
nothing inconsistent with imperial unity as
far as the convictions and intentions OF the
government are concerned; that the equality
of the Kingdoms must be borne in mind;
and that every practicable provision Cor
the protection of the minority must be
adopted. Other conditions provide for the
security OF religious freedom, the safeguard
ing OF education and for the security of
personal freedom, in which tue liberals en-
deavored to borrow one Of the modern
amendments to the American constitution.
The bill provides for the retention OF tho
viceroyalty of Ireland but divests it of the
party character hitherto borne by making
the appointment run six years, subject to
the revoking power of The crown. Then
also the post is freed from all religious dis
abilities. There is provision for the APP
pointment of an executive committee Of the
privy council of Ireland, which, for ordin-
nry affairs, will be the cabinet of the
viceroy
Other clauses of the bill provide for the
security of the emoluments OF existing
Judges and of officers generally. Two ex-
chequer judges will be appointed under the
authority OF the crown, mainly for financi-
al business Besides the excheduer judges
it is provided that for six years all judges
shall be appointed as now, the emoluments
being xed in Ireland.
AS to the constabuiary, that force will
remain under the control OF the viceroy
while it exists, but provisions are made
for it's gradual reduction and hual aboi-
ton.
There is a clause to correspond with the
colonial validity law to the effect that if
the Irish legislature should pass any act
contrary to the acts of the imperial Parlia-
INIT, such law shall be good except in so
far as it is contrary to the imperial enact
ment.
With regard to the retention of Irish
members at Westminster the proposition is
that Ireland shall be represented by eighty
members, in proportion to her present pop
ulation. There are, however, limitations
on the voting power of the Irish members
to exclude them ~ from voting on a bill or
motion expressly confined to Great Britain;
e. from voting on tax not levied upon
Ireland; 81 from voting on vote OF or
appropriation of money otherwise than for
tie imperial service: ~ from voting on any
motion or resolution exclusively affecting
Great Britain.
According to the financial plan Ireland is
70 no fair sl,ara IF no itnp
| lures and the Irish customs fund is to be
appropriated for that purpose. In this way
| it is hoped to escape all collection in the in-
terror of Ireland OF any revenue whatever
of imperial authority, leaving the collection
Of Irish revenues wholly in the hands of the
local government, while the imperial gov
eminent will be receivers Of a fund which
will never go near the Irish exchequer
| Provision is made for financial assistance
from Ireland in case OF war, reliance being
made in part upon the customs for this pur-
pose.
The disposal of the land question is re-
served to the imperial Parliament for three
years, and for this reason Mr. Gladstone In
his speech said nothing of Importance in re-
! lation to this subject. The Irish leaders
| hope to secure shortening of the time
wherein the land question is to be with
held from the purview OF the Irish legisla-
ture, but they are favorable to the scheme
as represented. The prevailing opinion
among the opposition seems to be that the
retention of the Irish members at West
minister will be fatal to the bill, and it is
possible that the bill may be amended so
that the Irish members will be excluded from
the imperial Parliament. With this change
the bill may be adopted, as home rule in
some form seems to be forsgons conclu-
| sion.
The Abandoned Farm Bugbear.