Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-02-16
BALFOUR'S REPLY.
SCAT HING CRITICISM OF GLAD
STON'S HOME RULE BILL.
The Need of Such Measure Not justified
by tho Condition of fIreland-Premter's
Bill Declared as Chimericnl as 1t Is
Unnecessary.

LONDON, Feb. 14.-In the House of Com
mons to-day, Mr.. Balfour began his reply
to Mr.. Gladstone's speech OF last evening.
Ee said: Tue House, first of ALL has the
right to inquire why is any BILL good or
bad required This question the prime
minister has tried to answer on two famous
occasons-once in 1855 and again last even
ing. Seven years aso he laid the whole
strength OF his argument upon the absence
of social order in ireland. The whole tend
cudy of his argument was to show that tho
alternative before the House was drastic
coercion. Seven years have now elapsed.
Is there drastic coercion still in Ireland IL
it is not in operation do you the conse-
quences which the prime minister then.fore
shadowed has been impossible to preserve
social order
The prime minister must see that bill of
this magnitude is hardly justified any con-
dition OF affairs save that from which tho
| necessity OF tue crimes act arose. By
universal admission there are TWO causes OF
trouble in Ireland, the asrarian condition
of the country and the fact that it is possible
owing to the unhappy history OF tho land
| question, for persons with political object
TO serve to arouse criminal agitation
throughout Ireland.
Whichever OF these alternatives is chosen,
it does not point to the necessity Of homo
| rule, but rather to the impossibility OF its
adoption. If the agrarian trouble were the
only roal trouble how could it be settled
otherwise thnn by the Imperial Parliament !?
1t is criminal to attempt TO set up in Ire
land u Legislature practically
Independent of the Imperial Govern in e nj t
| Under these conditions the prime minister
| tried to found his recommendation OF the
| home rule bill upon the Irish majority in
| favor of the measure
| BY what right were they to proceed to
cut Off Ireland from the rest OF the united
kingdom because a majority from an arbi-
troriiy selected area wanted homo rule.
| Conservative cheers and Irish laughter.
| Protestant Ulster which with an absolutely
unanimous voice. declared against the meas
ure with aversion and adherence, deserved
exceptional treatment, for which no provi-
sion appeared in the bill now placed before
| the house
As to the exercise OF veto power by the
Imperial Parliament, Mr.. Balfour held that
such provision would lead to d legislative
dead lock in either the English or the Irish
Parliament. Hear, hear.l 1t was idle for
Mr.. Gladstone to talk OF the anoloGies OF
colonial legislatures The question could
not be argued as il Ireland in any respect
resamblsd a colony. ICheers.l They were
told that imperial supremacy would figure
! largely i'll the preamble OF the bills. But
what he desired TO know was whether there
were in the bill itself L valid declaration
that tie British Parliament would have a
| real operative
Supremacy Over the Irish Parlia ent.
When the Irish members ask for colon
inI Lao .laft fbnU cLy ff,r hat h,p
!utely impossible. II not already impossible
by the constitution, such a Legislature is
rendered impossible BY the very bill which
| we are discussing. Chesrs
Eighty Irish members are to he retained
at Westminster AS they would vote on
imperial ubjects, it would be for the Irish
members TO decide who should sit on the
ministerial benchos. Hear hear j 1t ID
vain to say that they would not be allowed
to discuss and vote cert ain bills, when they
would have the far greater power of decd-
ing who should have charge OF these bills.
The whole scheme is simply impossible of
execton. 1t is proposed said Bafour, to
give Ireland bonus of 800, 900 pounds
This 800, 900 pounds represents a capital of
II, 600, 0JO pounds and why ought this coun-
try to give Ireland II. The only reasou
which | can conceive in the confession that
we have been beaten aud must pay this
amount as n sort OF war indemnity. Laugh
ter. Ulster landlords in Ireland arc op-
posed to this schena