The sun., 1897-01-06

penulture IN ireland IL iOchi expenditure,
that is to say, expenditure made on the face
OF things, exclusively for Ireland's benefit.
Let us look ut this argument little
closely. 1t seems to us invalid on two
grounds: In the first place, the Unionist
argument is precisely TINT put forward by
GEORGE GRENvILLE when he passed the
Stamp act and asserted the principle which
cost England her American colonies. The
conquest OF Canada, said GRENvILLE, and
the resultant delivery Of the colonies from
French aggression, had cost Great Britain
n vast sum OF money; and her claim to re-
cover the whole or n part OF this sum from
the colonies by taxation was founded in
justice and equity. To which the colonists
replied that they had not been consulted as
to the expenditures made in the Seven
Years war, and that, therefore, they
should not be forced to recoup Eng
land for those expenditures by taxes
arbitrarily imposed. II any sum were &C
knowledged by the colonies to be morally
due from themselves, considered rs bene-
ficiaries, they should be left, they said, TO
raise it by their local legislatures No
country, they said, should he allowed to tax
another on the plea that the former had ex-
pended, in its own way and at its own dis
erection, large sum OF money on the latter's
account. Tyranny is not less tyranny be-
cause 1t processes to have made generous
use of tyrannical exnctions. The reply
which was made to GRENv1LLE is equally
cogent to-day in the mouths of Irish
men; for although Ireland has repre-
sentatives in the British Parliament, while
a. BOD
there, yet the Irish members constitute less
than one-sixth of the whole number, and
are, therefore, powerless to prevent unjust
discrimination in the matter OF taxation.
When, under the act Of Union, the enor-
nous British majority at Westminster has
taxed Ireland at rate much higher than
has been applied to Lancashire or York
shire, it has been guilty of an act OF dcspot-
ism. and it cannot eSculpate itself by
alleging that the proceeds Of n despotic act
have been employed in philanthropic way.
Benefits the price Of which Is wrung before
hand from the benetlciaries do not give the
benefactor n title to gratitude.
In the second place, it will be easy to
prove that the benefits alleged to have been
bestowed on Ireland in the shape OF an ex-
penditure exceeding her due share have not
been conferred on the nation as whole, but
have been distributed exclusively in the in
terest Of u special class, which may be de-
scribed as an English garrison. 1t is al ex-
penditure made, not at the request, but
against tho wish of the vast majority Of
taxpay ers. As to this point, we are glad to
see that Mr.. RUSSELL concurs with us. He
points out that IL Ireland is TO bear an
undue share OF taxation because she re-
ceives an undue share of expenditure this
virtually means that Irishmen are to be
charged with the cost OF maintaining &c. 900
British soldiers among them, whose pres
errc they certainly do not deslre. and with
the cost Of police force, which partakes of
asemimilitary character, and upon which
are expended some 81, 500, 900 per annum
1t means that Irishmen must pay the whole
cost Of the vice-regal court ut Dublin. or, in
other words. OF the Castle government,
which they detest. and the whole cost of n
Superior and County Judiciary, which,
however good in quality, is admittedly ex-
ccssive in quantity. 1t means that the Irish
taxpayers must bear the whole outlay for a
multitude Of boards, many Of which are
acknowledged to be superfuous, and to
none Of which have they the power
Of appointment; boards to educate chill
dren, boards to fix rents, boards to
dispense charities. boards TO lend money,
boards to build bridges, boards to instruct
people who are counted able to govern
themselves in the elementary principles Of
the science which teaches them how to earn
their daily bread. All this costs money,
and great deal OF it. But the people who
get it do not contribute it, Some inland
revenue statistics quoted by Mr.. RUSSELL
show that lreland's contribution to the i'm
perial exchequer is furnished principally by
the people who drink whiskey and tea and
smoke tobacco. In other words, II is the peo-
pie at large who pay, whereas the expendi-
lures go largely among narrow class.
II is incredible that the Unionist opposi-
tion TO the reduction OF Ireland's excessive
taxation should be long effectual The Union
lists themselves will be split upon the ques-
ton, for all the Irish landowners will sup
port the Nationalists' demand for fiscal
reidjustment. But II, through stupidity or
stiff -neckedness, the SALISBURY Government
should refuse to remedy glaring and
grievous wrong, we shall witness revolu-
tion in British public sentiment, and Sir
WILLIAM HARCoURr will have cause to cry,
as CROMWELL cried at Worcester: "The
Lord hath leliyerab than, in m nur do