The Irish standard., 1893-04-15
SATURDAY, APRIL Is. 1893.
THE HOME RULE BILL.

THE HOME RULE BILL.
The debate on the Home Rule bill is
dragging it's slow length along in the
British parliament, and the followers Of
Mr.. Gladstone are growing SO weary and
tired OF the oft-repeated objections of the
Tory leaders that they have finally re-
4aesred him to apply the closure and
bring the discussion to an end. Every
thing that can be said for and against the
bill has been already said, and in our
opinion it is about time to drop the dis
eussion and pass on to the last stage of
the bill before it's passage.
In moving for it's second reading on
April 6, Mr.. Gladstone showed the bene-
fit of autonomous unions, or unions
where the principle Of Home Rule pre-
wallis. He cited Austria and Hungary,
Norway and Sweden, the German FEEDER
alton, the United States, and other coun-
tries to prove that Home Rule or self
government produced contentment and
harmony. "In the United States, said
Mr.. Gladstone. leach State has its own
rights, and any one in America daring to
interfere with those rights would be re-
garded as mailman" He declared that
but one principle can be applied to all
Unions, and that is whether they require
permanent maintenance by force. Every
one listening to him was aware that the
unions of Great Britain and Ireland has
been preserved by force during the past
ninety-tbree years, and that during that
period Ireland has attempted to sever
the links that bind her to the greater
island. The Tory party, however, is rot
willing that ireland can have a local par
lament, and Joseph Chamberlain, Run
aolph Churchill and Arthur j. Balfour
pretend to believe that giving Ireland
self government would be breaking up
the union altogether. They have been
appealing to the religious prejudices of
the 4rangemen and melting them to vio-
lence, thinking that Gladstone would
withdraw the bill to avoid strife and
bloodshed in Ulster. But the Irish gov
eminent is competent to deal with the
Ulster "loyalis's," and come what may
Gladstone will pass the bill. In speech
the other day Chamberlain said the
whole property classes of Ireland were
opposed to the bill, and then again the
Irish nationalists would not accept it as
. fnality.
Justin Mccarthy and John Redmond
replied to the apostate liberal, the former
saying that the Irish people would &C.
oept the bill as message Of lasting
peace. He could not say that the Irish
party were quite satisfied with the 6nan~
cial clauses of the bill; nevertheless they
accepted it generally as an honest settle
ment of the question, and as far as they
could forsee, it might prove a final settle
ment. Mr.. Redmond said the bill had
been sufficiently discussed by the house
and that nothing was to be gained by
prolonging the debate.
While Balfour, Churchill and Cham
berlain are trying to make trouble in
Ulster, Englishmen in this country are
urging Mr.. Gladstone to give Home Rule
to Ireland. A few days ago, prominent
American citizens of English birth sent
Gladstone an address from town in
Connecticut, and expressed satisfaction
with his bill. This is the first time that
Englishmen in America have been heard
from on the Irish question, and their en-
dorsement OF Gladstone's bill will have q
most salutary effect on the minds of the
English people. We hope Gladstone will
soon apply the cloture to the obstructing
Tories and carry the bill into committee
for amendments and then send it as soon
as possible to the House of Lords. After
its rejection by the hereditary legislators
Of the upper chamber, Mr.. Gladstone can
confidently appeal to the country and get
reelected by double his present majority.
I 81 - -.
HE Catholic Truth Society of Amor
. ~ . 80