The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-22
The Opening OF Parliament.

The most important incident which fol-
lowed the reading Of the Queens speech in
Parliament on Tuesday was the references
Commons to the Irish taxation question.
Notice had been given in both chambers Of
a motion to consider the financial relations
Of Great Britain and Ireland. aud Mr.. BAL
FOUR promised that the Government would
afford time for a discussion OF the subject
after the debate on the address responsive to
the Queens speech had ended. He also said
that the Government intended to deal with
the taxation question, but the method Of
dealing with 1t, which he indicated. would
be satisfactory to no section of the Irish
people. The Governments purpose Is, it
seems, to treat the report OF the late Royal
Commission as II 1t had never been made.
and to appoint a new Royal Commission,
charged to investigate not only the question
whether Ireland Is overtaxed. but also the
question whether she does not benefit from
imperial expenditure beyond her just pro-
portion. BY this the Ministers
hope to secure, at all events, delay, for the re-
port Of the new commission may be held back
for several years.; and, in the second place,
to confuse the public mind rs to the real
point at issue. Meanwhile, Ireland will go
on paying, year after year. more than her
fair share Of the annual imperial revenue
by some thirteen millions OF dollars.
The may fail IL 1t be true, as
1t is asserted, that tho Irish landlords and
their English friends have strength enough
In the House of Lords to beat Lord SAILS
BURY himself, as indeed they showed last
year; and II In the House OF Commons they
can muster so many votes as. when con-
Joined with those OF the Irish N~ationalists
and British Liberals. would suffice to over
come the Unionist majority. We can hardly
believe that Sir EDWARD CLARKE, or any
resolute opponent Of unevenly distributed
taxation, will vote for the proposed new
commission, for. even should the commits
sion be able to prove that the huge sums
unjustlv drawn from Ireland have been more
than counterbalanced by the amounts ex-
pended there, it would but set up the prin-
ciple that 1t is right to rob PETER to pay
PAUL. hat 1t is this principle, and no
other, which Mr.. BALFoUR means to advo-
cate, will be made clear when we recall the
fact that the excessive taxes wrung from
Ireland to the extent OF about thirteen
millions of dollars in 1s93-94 were paid by
the people at large, whereas the excessive
expenditures said to have been made in that
year to the extent of 10000 900, were
applied for the benefit Of a narrow class.
1t would be monstrous for the Unionists,
after alleging for many years that Ire
land is treated with perfect justice
under the act OF union, now to as
sert that she may be with equity and
decency overtaxed for the purpose OF main
tanning the system Of Castle Government,
with It's adjuncts OF an appointive judiciary,
u standing army, and a semi-military police
force, when such objects OF expenditure are
regarded with detestation by the great ma
jority OF the Irish people. Even could it be
shown, as 1t never can be, that the surplus
taxes are paid by identically tine same per-
sons who profit by the surplus expendi-
ture, no self-respecting community would
tolerate such II transaction. You can
not cure q breach Of justice by n sub
sequent act OF charity. What all Irish
men. landlords and tenants, are now united
to uphold, Is their right to be taxed no moro
heavily than England or Scotland; when
they have made good their right, they will
be ready and willing to inquire how far they
ought to be made the special benefciaries
of the imperial exchequer. In a word, the
clear n almost unanimous findings OF the
late Royal Con. mission ought to be carried