Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-07-22

scheme of this bill. That recommends
ton was discussed all over Ireland, and
have 10 recollection of any public body
condemning the report, but know that
an overwhelming majority OF them, in
Guiding Chambers Of Commerce, all the
corporations of the country and number
less boards of guardians, unanimously
supported the recommendations OF the
Recess Committee (hear, hear. The re-
suit of that was that two years ago the
Chief Secretary introduced a bill to meet
that demand. That bill failed, and it
failed because it did not meet some OF the
essential proportions of the demand. !
do not blame the right honorable gentle.
man for il. One of the things we asked
for was that the elective principle should
be recognized in the measure. The Chief
Secretary was in great difficulty because
he had practically no constituency to go
to- but the great measure of local gov
eminent last year created constituency,
and from that constituency the right
honorable gentleman, am happy to say,
has been able to draw an effective elective
feature in this bill. Has the bill received
the sanction of public opinion in Ireland!
What are the facts3 and it has been dis
cussed widely by nearly all the public
bodies in the country. The other day
conference of the Chambers of Commerce
from all the great cities in Ireland was
held in Dublin, and while they recon-
mended amendment of details they
unanimously approved the main features
of the bill and urged the Government to
pass it into law this session, whilst no
single municipality in Ireland has de-
clared against it. have received an
enormous number of acquisitions from
boards of guardians asking me to be in
my place today to support this measure.
No public body, large or small, import
ant or unimportant, has passed resolu-
ton against this measure. In addition TO
that the press of the country has been al
most unanimous. In the face OF the facts
think am justified in saying that pub
lie opinion in Ireland is unanimous IN
support of the second reading OF this bill.
If that be so l say it would be a
monstrous hardship if the bill so intro
duced in obedience to public demand,
and supported, as have shown, by
practically unanimous public opinion,
were to be endangered by any action
taken in this house at this stage. AS to
the necessity for such bill, 1t is not
necessary for me to speak OF Ireland as
poor country, as a country which practi-
cally has no manufactures. Ireland de-
ponds upon its agriculture. Admittedly
the soil of Ireland is badly titled. Her
production has diminished and her pop
ulation has gone down, and practically
there is no system whatever OF agri-
cultural or technical education, and prac-
tically no aid whatever was given by the
State for these purposes. II the same
amount of money were spent on agricul'
ture in Ireland as was spent in Denmark
at the present time in proportion to hei
population, you would have to spend
L23O 900, and if the same amount were
spent on industries and agriculture in
proportion to population as is spent in
Switzerland, you would have sum oil
200, 900 year spent for those purposes
This bill only proposes to allocate very
small amount, and grave will be the re-
sponsibility of any man who delays for
single year a remedy for the appalling
state of things which exists at the pres
ent moment. This bill proposes to estab'
lish in Ireland for the first time demo
cratic board. two-thirds elected by the
County Councils of Ireland and one
third nominated by the Government
which board will have absolute control oil
the expenditure of its money, and if the
money is not expended i'll any year II
will accumulate from year to year, and
moreover, il can be spent by the depart
ment without the concurrence OF this
board. Some people have spoken of this
as another Castle board. What does thi:
bill do? II very largely disestablishes
several Castle boards. 1t takes away from
number of these Castle boards large
portion of their power and transfers &c
the elected authority the control now
exercised by these Castle boards i'll some
matters, and it transfers absolutely the
control over science and art now exercised
by South Kensington.
That is not an exaggerated summary ol
the provisions of the bill. 1t is a correct
summary; and if that is so am justified
in regarding this as measure based OF
democratic lines. As to the financial as
pect of the BILL the defect We see is thai
any of this money is drawn from Irish
sources. We base our demand that il
should all come from Imperial source.
upon the case we make as to Irish fnan
cial relations. This is not perhaps the
best opportunity for discussing this ques
ton. 1 have asked myself whether, il
we accept the bill as it stands, we shall
weaken our position with regard to the
general financial question in the future
and believe that this bill will give us q
platform from which in the future We
shall be able to work this question.
Mr.. Speaker. there are practically two
motions before the house. One is for the
second reading of the bill and the othel