The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-05
The Proposed Beginning Of Home Rule
for Scotland.

| iOE SCuthhuus
Lord RosEBERY'ss Government seems de-
| termined to carry out the provisional
scheme OF home rule for Scotland which
Mr.. GLADSTONE devised. One feature of
THIS scheme was the creation OF q new
Office. that Of Secretary for Scotland.
which Sir GEORGE TREvEbYAN now holds.
The second feature was to be the relega-
ton OF ell bills affecting exclusively Scot
tish interests to a standing committee
mainly composed OF She Scotch members Of
the House OF Commons On Monday Of this
week Sir GEORGE TREvELYAN proposed the
formation OF such a committee, which, in
addition to the seventy-two Scotch mem
bers. should include fifteen others, made up
apparently OF Ministers and Of the leading
members Of the Opposition. Sir GEORGE
did not ask the House to define In advance
what measures should go to this commit
tee, but simply that the committee should
be authorized to report upon such Scotch
bills as should be specially sent to It.
1t was to be expected that this proposal
would meet with vehement resistance from
Mr.. BALFoUR. as its practical effect would
be to deprive the Unionists Of any substan-
tial influence upon Scottish legislation. OF
the seventy-two members for Scotland fifty
are Liberals and twenty-five are Unionists
while Of the fifteen extra members OF the
projected committee. eight would no doubt
be Mlnisterialists and seven would be taken
from the Opposition. The parties arrayod
against each other In committee would,
therefore. stand In the proportion Of fifty
eight to twenty-hine; or. in other words,
the Liberals would have exactly double the
strength OF their opponents. Mr.. BALFoUB
denounces this disproportion as grossly I'M
fair, but it Is obvious that the claim Of
Scotch members to regulate their local
affairs Is not In the slightest degree invali-
dated by the fact that Scotland in 1897
chose to send to Westminster q large ma
jority Of Liberals. The Unionists have their
remedy; let them try at the next general
election to carry majority Of the Scotch
constituencies.
Mr.. BALFoUR asked IL the Government
would treat England In a similar manner.
The answer Is that in politics 1t is not ex-
pedient to cross bridge until you come to
1t. There has been as yet no general and
peremptory demand from England. sup
ported by vast majority OF her members
OF Parliament, that to them should be rele-
gated bills dealing solely with English
affairs. When such q demand Is made, It
must be granted. in conformity with the
precedent set in the case Of Scotland.
The move made by Sir GEORGE TREvELYAN
has direct and interesting bearing on the
relation Of Ireland to the imperial legisla-
ture. II Scotch questions are hereafter to
be referred to a standing committee COM
posed principally OF the seventy-two Scotch
members. on what ground could the House
OF Commons refuse to refer Irish questions
to a like committee mainly formed OF the 1o3 |
Irish members? Clearly the House could |
not refuse to make a similar concession to |
Ireland II demand for it were pressed. No |
demand OF the kind is made at present, |
because Irish Nationslists do not wish to |
accept anything short OF q separate Parlia- |
ment at Dublin. But they will not fail to |
point out that the principle OF home rule Is |
embodied in Sir GEORGE TRKvKLYAN's pro- |
posal. and that II 1t is admitted that Scotch |
questions ought to be settled by Scotchmen |
at Westminster. a Jortiori they might be
better settled by Scotchmen In Edinburgh. |
Why should men travel hundreds Of miles |
to regulate local matters which they could |
at home?
The innovation now advocated by the
for Scotland Is a step in the
process which will transform the House Of
Commons at Westminster into an assembly |
dealing exclusively with questions OF i'm
perial concern.