Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-04-07
HOME RULE DEFENDED
In a Vigorous Speech By
Mr.. Gladstone.
ISSUES ARE SQUARELY MET.
Lengthy Debate as to the Second
Reading Of the Bill.

Gladstone's speech when he moved the
second reading of the bill to establish
home rule in Ireland the house of COM
mons presented fine spectacle yesterday.
The galleries were filed by dense crowd,
and outside of parliament house thousands
had assembled to cheer the veteran prime
minister. Mr.. Gladstone arose at 3:45 p. m.
and said:
desire to remind the house Of the fact that
the stage of the home rule bill, at which IL has
now arrived, may in some important senses De
called the principal stage. The sense of par
lament has already been declared In this
house, and various sections Of the country
nave also declared their sense in the most de-
cided form. England, which was adverse to
home rule In 1888, has largely moved in the
direction Of qualifying that decision. Mono
of those opposing the bill have, with one ex-
ception, either criticized IL strongly or offered
an alternative policy. The exception referred
10 was mad, by Leonard Courtney, who
seemed TO think that the only thing necessary
was TO reconcile the Roman Catholics In Ire
land. A majority OF the Protestants are now
opposed to home rule.
IL IL took them 30 years to bring them round,
IL would take 200 years TO convert the much
larger number of Catholics. Catholics In Ire
land were ostensbly reconciled to the union
for the first ~ years after its establishment
because they had no means Of making their
discomfort known. When O'Connell, after
triumphing in the civil arena over so great q
man as the Duke of Wellington, was put into
prison al last, the
Era of Physical Force Arrived.
My friend the honorable member for Bod
min Mr. Courtney, who recommends patience
rs the sole hope Of the people of Ireland,
should know that his principle cannot be ac-
ceptable when there is abundant and conclu-
I'll the change for which they have prayed be
granted. The arguments against home rule,
such as advanced at Ulster, do not appeal to
humanity; they trample all principle under
foot
All the enemies OF home rule want is to get
the power in their hands. They have no SYM
pathy with us; they are moved by no sense Of
justice. Their cry is: 1T Is quite right that
England and Scotland should have an admin
istrative system of their own, and that they
should also enjoy large measure Of self gov
ernment. But IL must not be so with Ireland.
The Irish should not have administrative
system with which we can sympathize, but
should be forever governed by Dublin castle,
while local self government remains prac-
tically unknown TO them" Their arguments
are that the Irish people have no political prin-
ciples upon whose sympathies the government
could reckon, aud add whatever power they
had given them would
Ohly ne Oseu TO Moro.
There was perfect union of hearts betwesn
the Irish Protestants and Catholics during tho
years from 17Ss TO 1925. This Is no dream; IL Is
reality. Ii has happened before; why should
IL not happen againf Ireland IL a small ooun-
try by the side of great country. weak
country by the side of strong one, poor
country by the side of rich one. II Is some
times claimed that we supply no argument In
favor OF a change, but we declare that the
present method Of government In Ireland IL
incredibly, almost immeasurably, wasteful.
The civil government of Ireland costs twice as
much per head the civil government Of
England. i prefer that we do justice In .
tranquil spirit, and call the attention Of tho
honorable members to the spectacle OF autono-
nous unions between states Of Europe and
America. l will advance four propositions
for your consideration.
First-That there is in the civilized world
no incorporation or union maintained by force
that has eveI prospered.
THE United States" began Sir William
Hicks. Mr.. Gladstone interrupted, say
ing:
able gentleman has skipped tho essential
word. Incorporation union means that which
suppresses legislatures of independent part. /
give as the next example, Holland and Bel
GUM, which, after a prscarious existence OF
Is years, effected divorce. These countries
cause they are separate The next case 10
that Of Austria Hungary, where the incorpor-
alton union has been given up because the
country was left TO choose between giving IL
up and total ruin. l contend that unions not
Incorporated, but autonomous, have been
Attended In All Gases by Success,
as we see in the case OF Austria Hungary,
Norway Sweden. Russia Finland, Denmark.
Iceland. Let me also refer to the most con-
elusive case Of Germany and to that Of the
United States.
Mr.. Gladstone then proceeded to COM
pare at some length the position occupied
by Ireland and the British colonies He
read letter from Mr.. Fitzgerald con-
trasting the prevalence OF discomfort In all
the British colonies, so years ago, when he
(Fitzgerald) became a colonist with the
loyalty and the state of contentedness pre-
vailing now. The letter gives as a cause
of the change the introduction of home
rule in the colonies. In conclusion the
letter says: Two experiments have been
going on before our eyes-one carried on
in Ireland, the other in the colonies: one q
miserable failure and the other miracu-
lous success Mr. Gladstone continued:
During the last % years IL votes Of want of
confidence In the government have been given
-four by the Irish people, none by the purely
will not enter into that question; admit that
IL Is Not Easy work
TO settle ths finances between two countries
that have been closely associated for 90 years.
In conclusion. let me say that Il is an indubit.
able historical fact that until the year 1892 the
question between Great Britain and Ireland
was a question between a class and a nation.
II il not so now; IL Ia squestion between na-
tion and nation.
There can be no more mela ncholy or degrad-
ing spectacle on earth than oppression and
wrong In whatever form inflicted by one ma
tion upon another; on the other hand. there
can be nothing nobler than a nation deliber-
stely setting itself TO remove an injustice; not
through fear, not hastily. but under the sole
influence Of duty, Of honor. determined not TO
brook with whatever remAns of evil tradI-
tion and pay the debt Of jdstice. and consult
by bold. wise and good acts Its own interests,
its own honor
William Hicks Beach moved rejection
Of the bill, at the same time paying high
tribute TO the prime minister's powerful
and interesting speech, which he said was
,,nt anlv nj IN hfs rxv, ,.a,t., k.,s