The record-union., 1893-02-20


Lord-Lieutenant, with Power to
Summon, Prorogue and Dissolve
the Irish ParIiament-Text of the
Bill in Full.
epecial TO the RECoRD-UNToN.
LONDON, Feb. 19.-Gladstone's home
rule bill was read for the first time in the
House of Commons yesterday. The fol-
lowing is summary OF its provisions:
There shall be established in Ireland a
Legislature consisting of her Majesty, the
Queen, and two houses-a Legislative
Council and Legislative Assembly.
Subject to the restrictions mentioned in
the Act, the Irish Legislature is given
power to make laws for the government
of Ireland in respect to matters exclu-
sively relating to that country. 1t shall
not have power to make laws respecting
the following matters: The status or
dignity of the crown or the succession
to the crown or regency; Lord Lieutenant,
as representative of the crown; making
peace or war; matters arising from a
state of war; naval or military forces or
defense of the realm; treaties or other re-
lations with foreign states or relations be-
tween different parts of her Majesty S
dominions, or offenses connected with
such treaties; dignities or titles of honor;
treason or treason felony; alienation or
naturalization; trade outside of Ireland;
quarantine or navigation save on in
land waters; local health or harbOr
regulations; beacons, lighthouses, or
sea marks, except where, consistent
with the general Act of Parliament, they
may be constructed or maintained
by local authority; coinage, legal
tender, standard weights or
measures, trade marks, merchandise
marks, copyrights or patent rights; max
ing any law respecting the establishment
or endowment of religion or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof; of imposing
any disability or comforting any privileges
on account of religious belief, or abrogat-
ing or prejudicially affecting the right to
establish or maintain any place of denom-
national education or any denomina-
tional institution of charity, or prejudic-
tally affecting the right of any child at
tending a school receiving public money
without attending religion instruction at
school,; or whereby any person may be
deprived of life, liberty or property with
out due process Of law. or whereby pri-
vate property is taken without just COM
pensation, or whereby any existing cor
poration, incorporated by royal charter
or Act of Parliament, not being a corpora
ton raising for public purposes taxes,
rates, dues or tolls, or administering
funds so raised, may, unless the consent
of her majesty first be obtained on the
address from the Irish Legislature, be
deprived ofits rights, privileges or prop
perty without due process of law: or
whereby any inhabitant be deprived of
equal rights; public sea fisheries. All
laws made in contravention of the above
shall be void.
Executive power shall continue to be
vested in the Queen through the Lord
Lieutenant, with power to summon, pro-
rogue and dissolve the Irish Legislature.
There shall be an Executive Committee
or Privy Council in Ireland to aid and ad-
wise the Government, to be named by the
Queen. The Lord Lieutenant is to have
the power to veto any Acts of the Legis-
lature.
The Legislative Council is to consist of
forty-eight Councillors, to be elected from
constituencies according to the schedule
accompanying the Act. Every person
shall be entitled to vote for members OF
the Council who owns or occupies land or
a tenement of the value of more than 800.
The term of Office of the Councillors is to
r. of fal
Half of the Councillors are to retire every
fourth year.
The Legislative Assembly shall consist
of members returned by existing Parlia-
mentary constituencies, to continue in
Office for five years, unless sooner dis
solved. After six years from the passage
of the Act the Irish Legislature may alter
qualifications of electors and constituent
cies.
If the Legislative Assembly passes any
bill and the Legislative Council rejects it,
and if, after two years, the Legislative
Assembly again passes it, then it shall be
submitted to the joint vote of the two
houses, and be adopted or rejected by a
majority of such joint vote.
The present Parliamentary constituent
cies, until otherwise provided, shall con-
tinue to elect members to Parliament,
but the Dublin University shall cease to
return member.
The existing divisions of CONTINGENCIES.
save as provided by the schedule, are to
be abolished. Irish peers, lords and
members of the House of Commons for
Irish constituencies, are not entitled to
deliberate or vote on any bill or motion.
the operation of which is confined to
Great Britain, or raising any tax not to
be raised in Ireland.
The election laws and laws relating to
the qualifications of Parliamentary elec-
tors. so far as they relate TO Parliamentary
elections. shall not be altered by the Irish
Legislature. though that body may deal
with any officers concerned with the issue
of writs of election, though the Queen
may in council arrange for issue of such
writs.
There shall be an Irish exchequer and
a consolidated fund separate from the
United Kingdom. Customs duties and
excise and postage imposed by Parlia-
ment are subject to the provisions OF this
Act. The Irish Legislature may impose
Dther taxes, and all matter relating to
taxes in Ireland and the management
and collection thereof shall be regulated
by an Irish Act, provideds that the duties
and customs be regulated, collected and
paid into the exchequefs of the United
Kingdom as heretofore.r : !,
All public revenues in ireland shall be