Omaha daily bee., 1893-02-15
QUESTIONED By Mr.. BALFOUR
Mr.. Gladstone Answers the Leader Of the
conservative Forces.
ATTACKS UPON The HOME RULE BILL
lreland's EN-Chief secretary Questions the
Patriotism and the Usefulness of the
Proposed Measure-His speech
Against 1t in the House.

LONDON, Feb. l4.-ln the House OF Com
monds today TT. Hon A J. Balfour, the con-
servative leader, asked Mr. Gladstone
whether, under the provisions Of the home
rule bill, the contributions from the imperial
exchequer for local purposes in ireland
would be continued. and if they were not.
then he desired 10 ask what security British
taxi ayers would have for advances under
the land purchase act.
Mr. Gladstone replied that contributions
from the imperial eNchequer for Irish local
purposes would cease, and the bill created
first charge on the Irish consolidated fund
IN favor of the British exchequer for repay
ments under the land purchase act 1t fur
ther provides summary method to recover
from the Irish eXchequer, without the direct
Intervention Of Irish authority, any sums due
to the British exchequer
Lord George Hamilton asked Mr. Glad
stone when he proposed to introduce bill
dealing with the Irish land tenure
Mr.. Gladstone declined to copmit the
government TO any pledge to introduce a
land bill. He said the government certainly
did not intend to run a land bill alongside of
the home rule bill The administration and
laws would meantime follow the usual
course in the hands of the local authorities
Balfour's Reply to Gladstone.
Mr.. Balfour then, amid loud uniouist
cheers began his reply to Mr. Gladstone's
speech of last evening. He said: The
House, first Of all, has the right to inquire
into why any bill is good or bad This is the
question which the prime minister has tried
to answer on two famous occasions-ouce in
lSNb and again last evening. The dilemma
which the prime minister placed before the
lOUSp has nrDunI tn hl no a ~ oil
and we are reduced TO the conclusion that il
is deemed necessary to shake the founda-
tons OF the ancient constitution of the
country not because coercion is ia active
operation i'll Ireland, but because we have on
the statute books permanent act for co
erclon which may or may not be required.
Hear, hear"
The prime miaister must see that a bill Of
this magnitude is hardly justified BY any
condition of affairs ike that from which the
necessity of the crimes act arose. BY uni
versal admission there are two causes of
trouble in Ireland. one the agrarian condi-
tlon OF the country; the other the fact that
1t Is possible, owing TO the unhappyu his
tory of the land question. for persons with a
political object to serve to arouse criminal
agitation throughout Ireland. do not care
which of these alternatives is chosen.
Whichever is chosen, it does not
rule, bnt rather to the impossibility
Of its adoption. 1t is criminal
TO attempt 10 set up in ireland a legislature
practically independent of the imperial Par
lament. BY what right were they to pro
ceed TO cut off Ireland from the rest of the
United King dom, because 9 majority for an
arbitrary measure were selected and wanted
home rule! conservative cheers and Irish
laughter.
Protestant Ulster.
When Protestant Ulster with an abso-
lutely unanimous voice, declared against the
measure with aversion and adherence. then
majorities ought not TO count; they become
mere local ebulitions of feeling T''Hcar!'
and laughterl. Ulster at least deserved ex-
ceptional treatment for which no provision
appeared in the bill now placed before the
house.
Proceeding to discuss the provisions of the
bill in detail Mr.. Balfour contended that the
outlined plan for dealing with the constabu-
larry and with the civil servants of the gov
ernment would certainly lead TO the iufiic-
tion Of great hardships. Every time Judge
rendered decision that did not find favor
with the populace he would become poorer
man. until at last he would be paid by the
job, the exact amount of his compensation to
be determined by the degree TO which his in
depreciation of the law was brought to con-
form with the views Of the Irish administra-
ton on the question disputed.
Irish Representation.
Mr.. Balfour next proceeded to criticize the
plan OF creating three constituents of differ
ent forms in Ireland, sending members TO
the Irish assembly, to the imperial Parlia-
ment and TO an Irish second chamber. The
adoption of such a scheme would. he de-
clared, plunge affairs into a condition of
hopeless ENHANCEMENT. He criticized Sc
verely the estG blishment of the second
chamber FOR the protection Of the minority
II Parliament were asked TO provide any
thing like safeguard for minorities they !
were asked TO ignore every lesson of history |
that democratic states We're capable of af- |
fording. Cheers.
As to the exercise Of a veto power BIZ the !
imperial Parliament Mr.. Balfour held that
such provision would lead to a legislative |
deadlock in either the English or the Irish |
Parliament Cries Of Hear, hear"l II |
had been said from the Irish benches that |
there would be imperial supremacy on the !
understanding that an honorable bargain
was entered into between the imperial gov /
ernment and an Irish Parliament; such a
supremacy could never be exercised
I Laughter No such bargain was possible |
or would be given. Cheers.
II the supremacy Of the British Parlia- |
ment We're to be preserved il must be by a
form Of supremacy which would be opera |
tive. Cheers. As TO the financial pro- |
posals, why asked Mr.. Baliour, ought |
this country TO give TO Ireland 700 OOOl |
The only reason which ] can conceive is the ]
confession that we have been beaten and |
must pay this amount as a sort Of war in
demnity." Laughter
federal government, he continued, or |
British constitution as it stands was good, |
but this bastard combination Of the three !
was ludicrous and impossible.
Mr.. BrIce Replies TO Balfour.
Mr. Brice, chancellor of the Duchy of Ian |
caster, replying TO Mr.. Balfour declared |
that part of the governments Justification |
for bringing the bill forward was the failure |
Of coercion. Mr.. Balfour while secretary for !
Ireland had been obliged 10 abandon the /
lines OF coercion upon which he had started /
out. He had failed to reconcile Ire |
land either by bludgeons or bribes |
Irish cheers. In regard TO Ulster !
the House ought not 10 Judge the
situation by the buster Of certain members !
There was not and could not be any sever |
lnce Of the interests Of Ulster from those of
the remainder Of Ireland. Within ten wears
the speaker declared, there had not been
single instance of oppression perpetrated in
Ireland ouside Of Ulster, on the ground of /
religion. lCries of, ''Oh, oh" and Irish
cheers Prof. Brice proceeded 10 support
the provisions Of the bill in detail
John Redmond, Parnellite, saiz that dur
ing the prime minister's speech last night,
Ae was impressed not so much with the
presence of the prime minister as with the
a lsence Of that great lrishmau who drove
the prime minister from the path of coercion
10 that Of concession. While in sympathy
with the broad principles Of the bill, he
found In il grave blots and felt I,