The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-27
Is Home Rule in DnngcrY

the question whether n Home Rule bill
can be carried through the present House
of Commons will depend upon Mr.. GLAD
STONES ability to make a majority agree as
to the number and powers Of the Irish mem
bers to be retained ut Westminster. and MS
to the regulation of the future financial
relations between Ireland and Great Britain
The latter matter will come up first for
discussion. and the publication Of the pro.
posals to be substituted by the Govern.
ment for tho original financial arrange.
ments has already provoked mutiny on
the part Of the nine Parnellite members.
Even this detection will mean loss of
eighteen on a division. and will cut down
the Ministerial majority to about twenty.
or course. tho Unionists are elated at this
rift in the G!adstonan forces for they hope
1t will grow larger; and their object is to
| kill the bill on any preteXt, for they know
that IL Ireland once gets homo rule in
any form her powers Of self-govern-
mcnt arc certain to DO enlarged there
| after. 1t remains to be seen whether
the scvcnty-one anti-Parncllites or any
| part of them will join the Parnell-
| ties in playing tho Unionst game: or
whether they will all sustain their one
powerful and untlinching friend in England
Mr.. GLADSTONE, recognizing that he means
| to secure for them the utmost attainable
under present circumstances. There are
as yet no signs that more than two Of the
British Liberals will desert their leader,
when the financial proposals are submitted;
and. therefore. SHOULD these be rejected, and
the bill in consequence be wrecked. a heavy
load Of responsibility will rest upon the
anti-Parnellite members.
Let us see what the new proposals are, SO
far as their purport can be deduced from
tho kilograms upon the subject. 1t will be
remembered that the arrangements origl-
nally suggested had at least tho merit of
simplicity: for. while they assigned the GUS
toms duties to imperial purposes. they
provided that all other taxes levied
in Ireland should be for Irish account.
According to tho estimate made by British
Treasury officials. there would have re-
manned from the revenue appropriated to
Ireland. after doducting all payments for
fixed Irish charges. about S25oOOO0 ayaila-
bic to put tho new Government in opera
ton. There turned out. however, to have
been grave error in the calculation, SO
that. instead Of IL surplus being forthcom-
ing for the Irish executive and legislature.
there would have been from the start a
considerable deficit. No sooner was The
error revealed than Mr. GLADSTONE with
drew the original plan and announced that
revised project would DO presented. The
amended scheme provides that Ireland's
contribution for imperial purposes shall be
one-third OF her gross revenue, which Is to
include not only the product OF all taxes
collected In Ireland. but also her share
OF tho hereditary Crown revenues, and
certain amount OF the customs and excise
duties collected in Great Britain on articles
consumed III ireland. or tho two-thirds OF
this gross revenue allotted to Irish DUR
poses. 1t is computed that. after deducting
all payments for fixed Irish charges. there
would be at the disposal of the new Dublin
Government surplus Of S2.5C00OO. This
surplus. moreover. would be augmentable
through The new taxes which the Dublin
Legislature would be empowered to i'm
pose. Finally, tEe whole fiscal scheme Is TO
be merely provisional: it being stipulated
that the financial relation of Ireland to |
Great Britain, including particularly the |
former country's contribution for imperial |
purposes. shall DO rcadjusted at the end of |
SIX years. by which time 1t is expected that |
any deficiencies in the temporary system |
will have been asccrtaincd.
such seems to DO the gist OF the new flpan- I
clal arrangements devised by Mr.. GLAD
STONE. Tho Unonists denounce them on
one ground, and tho Parnellites on another.
III" former assert that the contribution of
ireland for imperial purposes is too small:
the latter say it is too large. Taking tho
HBurcS OF the last fiscal year rs the basis
OF calculation, Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN contends
mat lreIahds contribution OF only q third
OF her gross revenue will result I'm a recent
OF sl'5oo'ooO less by the imperial excheauer
than was contemplated by the original
proposals. Mr.. JOHN f. REDMoSn
does not dispute this statement. but be in.
sists that Ireland ought to contribute onIy
instead of one-thlrd. of her rross
revenue. lIe further demands TINT from
The outset even customs duties in Irish norts
shall be collected by appolntees of tho Duh
in Government.
The Unionist objection is OF no consa-
luence. unless 1t should influence copsid-
lble number Of Mr.. GLADsroNE's follow
rs. and Of this. as wo have SAIL there is ma
yet no Indication. AS for the Parnelitc OH
cctions. the exact amount OF the contrihu-
ion which Ireland should ultimately be
allied upon to make for imperial purposes
S one of the things which Mr.. GLADSTONE
Expects to see determined before the expira-
ion OF the provisional term OF six years.
lie also proposes to insert in the bill pro-
'ision that at the end of the term specified,
ppointees of the Dublin Government shall
ollect all taxes levied in Ireland. except
UGH customs and excise duties as
n the United States are collected
y the Federal authorities. By Amer
can citizens neither OF the objec-
Ions brought forward by the Parnellites
an bc considered a sufficient pretext for
'recklng the Home Rule bill 1t seems
however. that the provisional
eriod should be shortened from six years
D three. An amendment to that effect will. !