Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-07
THE HOME RULE BILL,
Mr.. Gladstone's Speech in Moving Its Sec
ond Reading,

\
| Ond Reading.
In the house Of commons YESTERDAY after
noon after The SrAR's report closed Mr.. Glad
stone said that the progress of events in the
past century had proved the fallacy Of the ar
gument offered by the opponents Of home rule
that time and patience would see Ireland paci-
fed without special legislation. Never was
there time when the Irish people were 30 near
to acceptance of the union as during the first
twenty-nine years after the act Of the union
had been passed, and the reason was not be-
cause they loved it, but because they were trod-
den under foot. They wished for peace and
they had no genuine representatives in the i'm
| perial parliament.
As soon as the voice of Ireland was heard in
| self-government commenced, and it had never
| ceased. and would continue until self-govern-
ment should be granted "Let the house, ~
| Mr.. Gladstone continued, 'look at the spectacle
| the world offers in regard to its unions. In
| the civilized world no incorporated union
pered That is challenge Of some boldness.
| Is it too bold?''
| Here the Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks
Beach, conservative NJ. z. for West Bristol, in
terrupted Mr. Gladstone with the remark,
lake the case of the United States"
Il said Incorporated union" said Mr.. Glad
stone. You missed the essential word
SUCCESS IN sELF-GovERNMENT.
,, "Holland and Belgium tried incorporated
union, and after precarious existence Of ff.
teen years divorce was effected. Austria and
Hungary tried incorporation, and after years
of sad experience they found the choice lay in
giving it up or the empire. Russia incorporated
Poland. Take your stand thereon il you think
Mt Let the opposition make it the model of
| their operations.
ITO all unions but one principle can be ap-
Piled. and that is whether they require perma-
nent maintenance by force. If. when the force
disappears, harmony remains, the union is
good LII the maintenance OF the union by
force actual or in reserve is necessary the value
of the union is questionable.
Unions not Incorporated but autonomous
have been attended in all cases with success
| sometimes complete and always considerable
Thus Austria and Hungary under their pres
ent union. Norway and Sweden. Denmark and
Iceland. Russia and Finland are illustrations.
The most complete success was the German
federation, where each state had its own
powers, the union only affecting imperial inter-
ests. In the United States each state had its
own rights. and any one in America daring to
interfere with those rights would be regarded
as mailman. The colonies had some points
In common with Ireland. The disease of dis
affection once permeated them, but a remedy
was found In self government"
THE FINANCIAL QUESTION.
In conclusion Mr.. Gladstone referred to the
retention of the Irish members in the imperial
parliament. During the last sixty years, he
said, twelve instances had occurred of cabinets
being displaced by vote of censure. Among
these instances there was not a case where the
question at issue was purely British, eight hav-
ing been imperial and four Irish questions.
Therefore. he thought less inconvenience ought
to be expected from Irish members voting on
British questions than had been anticipated.
Regarding the question of finance, Mr.. Clad
stone admitted that 1t was no easy matter to
disentange the finances of countries associated
for the last ninety years 1t could not be done
in any way free from Inconvenience, but tine
trouble Was mere dust i'll the balance compared
with the vital importance of the great purpose
OF aiming at the real union of the two coun-
tries and the consolidation Of the empire. The
bill carefully guarded the possibility of increas-
ing imperial expenditure. whereof Ireland
ought to pay her share. in the event of war and
other causes. II the house was not satisfied
with the security offered under the existing
finance clauses of the bill. he was ready to deal
freely with the question and to recast the
clauses objected to.
Until recent period the question between
Great Britain and Ireland had been one between
class and nation. Now il was between nation
and nation. There was no more melancholy
spectacle on earth than the spectacle of wrong
other hand there was nothing nobler than
to see nation deliberately set upon the re-
moval of injustice.
HICKs-BEACas RESPONSE.
The rejection of the home rule bill was
moved by Sir Michael Hicks-Beach. president
OF the board of trade III the last Salisbury cab
met.
He taTnted Mr.. Gladstone with having made
a lcng ezcursus into Irish history when he was
ex.scie' 10 answer the nlultitudin0us criticisms
of the o.il. Since the character of the measure
had become known the most intense autagonisrn
had developed against it. In large part of
Ireland the people were irreconcilably opposed
to all the details as well rs 20 the principle OF
tine bill. The north of Ireland rang with pro-
tests against the prime ministers agitation.
and he ToIid not even pause in his retrospect
TO answer the arguments OF tie men behind it.
The prime minister had said that the home
rule bill had been before the country seven
years. This is not true. Before the bill was
introduced last February only the vaguest
statements as to its proposals had been made
The assertion was made frequently that Ireland
demanded home rule; that her electors had
accepted home rule. This was only partly
true. The majority Of Irish electors had de-
rlanded and accepted it. but large and deter
mined minority had decided to have none of it.
Nevertheless. admitting n unanimous sentiment
In Ireland for nome rule. the proposal for the
dissolution OF tine union rejected by the
other party to the bargain.
The majority of the electors Of Great Britain
were convinced that parliament, once persuaded
TO take the fatal step now proposed, could
never retrace 1t without plunging the country
into the horrors of civil war.