The record-union., 1893-01-30
Synopsis of the Measure Offered
by Premier Gladstone.
A LEGISLATIVE BODY TO CONSIST
OF TWO BRANCHES.
The Irish Legislature Given Power to
Make, Amend and Repeal Laws for
the Peace, Order and Good Gov
Parliament Reserves Control Over
Land Legislation for Five Years.
Special to the REcoRp-UN1oN.


LONDON, Jan. 2S.-The following is
synopsis of the new Irish home-rule bill:
1t declares that there shall be estab-
Hshed in Ireland a Legislature consisting
OF the Queen and an Irish legislative
body, empowered to make amend and
repeal laws for the peace, order and good
government of Ireland. The power to
enact laws on number of subjects con-
corning the kingdom at large is re-
talned by the imperial Parliament and
a sub-clause reserves to the imperial
Parliament control for five years over
land legislation.
The Irish Legislature is restricted from
passing any laws respecting the estab-
hshment of religion or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof, or imposing any
privilege, or imposing any disability on
account of religious belief 1t cannot
impair, without either the consent Of her
majesty in council or the consent of the
corporation interested, the rights, prop
erty or privilege of any existing corpora
ton incorporated by royal charter, or
local and general Act of Parliament; or
enact any legislation changing the terms
Va tAO AAOlAAO-1 uAC 1ACbs SAC6DG 50 lar as
the Act is declared to be alterable by the
Irish Legislature.
The Queen retains the same preroga-
tives with respect to the Irish legislative
body as to the imperial Parliament. The
Irish legislative body can continue in
existence five years and no longer from
the day it is appointed to meet. The
executive government of Ireland will
continue to be vested in her majesty and
will be carried on by Lord Lieutenant
with the aid of such officers and council
as her majesty may from time to time see
fit to appoint.
The ninth clause of the bill, relating to
the constitution of the Irish legislative
body, differs in one important respect
from the bill of 1886. 1t provides that the
legislative body shall consist of the first
and second order, but instead of deliber-
ating together as provided in the bill of
1885. it provides that they shall sit and
vote separately, thus constituting two
distinct houses of the Legislature. If the
result of the voting brings the two orders
into collision, then the question at issue
shall be referred to a joint committee of
both houses. Ifit cannot agree the ques-
tion may be referred to the people. The
new bill thus provides for popular
reference.
The upper house, or "First Order'' will
consist of 103 members, seventy-fiye of
whom are to be elective and twenty-eight
peerage members. The elective mem
bers are to be possessed of property bring
ing in an income of at least 9200 per wear.
The term of the elective members of the
first order shall be ten years, thirty-seven
or thirtv-e!ght to retire every fifth year.
The peers are to be twenty-eight Irish
representative peers. peerage representa-
ton in the first order to last for not longer
than thirty years from the appointed day
of the organization, when the places of all
peerage members are to be vacated or
filed by elective members. The dissolu-
ton of the legislative body does not va
cate the offices of members of the first
order.
The second legislative body will consist
of 2O4 members, to be chosen by existing
constituencies in Ireland, two by each
constituency, with the exception of the
city of Cork, which is divided into two
divisions, and two members are to be
chosen from each division.
An important new clause provides that
103 members of the Imperial Parliament
may also sit in the Irish legislative body
if elected thereto, as well as in the I'm
perial Parliament.
The annual contribution of Ireland on
account of the national debt, the army
and navy, imperial civil expenditures,
Royal Irish Constabulary, Dublin metro
politan police, and reduction of the ma
tional debt, is reduced to e., ,301 900. This
is reduction of exactly one-half from
the bill of 1856, which provided that Ire
land should pay "a, 10000
1t is made the duty of the Irish Legis-
lature to impose all such taxes. duties and
imposts as may be necessary to raise suf-
fcient revenue to meet all sums charged
for the time being on the Irish consoIi-
dated fund. This fund is to meet ad-
vances toward the expenses of the Irish
Government, the debts incurred by the
Irish Government, the salaries of Judges
of any court and all payments for Irish
services, except the salary of the Lord
Lieutenants.
The Irish Land Commission will re-
main in existence until all charges paya-
BILE out of church property and guaran-
teed by the treasury are fully paid. Sub
ject to any existing charges on church
property, such property shall belong to
the Irish Government.
If the Queen signifies to the Irish Leg
islature that a state of war exists. the
Irish Legislature may make an extra ap-
preparation for the army and navy and to
aid in the defense of the realm.
1t shall not be lawful for the Irish
legislative body to adopt or pass any
measure for raising or to appropriate for
any purpose any part of the public rev
enue of Ireland, or any tax, duty or i'm
post, except in persuance of recon-
mendation from her majesty, signified
through the Lord Lieutenant. The ex-
chequer division of the High Court of
Justice is to continue to be the Court of
Exchequer for revenue purposes, and
any vacancy occurring in the court will
be filled by her majesty on the recon-
mendation OF the Lord Lieutenant of Ire
land and the Lord High Chancellor of
Great Britain.
The Dublin Metropolitan police will
continue to be subject to the Lord Lieu
tenant for five years, or until the Irish
administration will guarantee an ade-
quate legal police system has been
organized. The Royal Irish Constabu-