The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-02-25
HOME RULE WILL NOT DOWN.

The debate in the House of Com
mons OH last Monday on John Il. Red
nlond's amendment to the speech from
the throne declaring that the present
system of government in Ireland is
opposed to the will of the Irish people
drew crowded galleries and started Il
lively discussion. The situation re-
sulting from this attack is dangerous
in the extreme for the government,
The Redmond amendment was care
fully planned to undermine the gov
rrnmcnt's majority. Interest in the
debate was intensified by Il report
that Earl Dudley had resigned as
T.Ord-Lieutenant of Ireland. This
rumor proved to be untrue, but the
situation was SO critical and the at
lacks of the Irish Nationalist so
clever that the galleries remained
filled and keyed up to the highest
point of interest until after midnight.
Mr.. Rcdmond's speech was an uncom-
promising demand for Home Rule. He
directly and unsparingly charged
members of the Irish administration
with incompctency. Mr.. Redmond
made Il special point of the shameful
treatment that has been accorded Sir
Anthony MacDonnell, the under secrc-
fairy for Ireland, in connection with
the differences between that gentle
man and Chief Secretary Wyndham.
This drew forth statement from
Secretary Wyndham in which he
praised Macdonald, but said that he,
Wyndham, never intended to give his
assent to any plan Of reform based
upon the Semi-Elective Council cX-
listing in India. Secretary Wyndham's
speech is admitted by his own news
paper supporters to have been weak
performance. and lie was unable to
answer the question put to him by
Winston Churchill to the effect that if
Anthony mcdonnell were reproved
why the T4Ord-Lieutcnant escaped. 1t
seems probable that the episode will
end in change in the Cabinet Mt
least. There are SGme members in the
Cabinet who will refuse to allow Mae
Donncll to be made Il scnpc-goat of.
1t certainly does not look as though
the Home Rule idea We're dead. 1t
seems rather that the statement of
the Irish Nationalist to the effect that
if England wishes to legislate for the
Empire it must first let Ireland go.
otherwise all of the time of the Brit
sh Parliament will be taken up in dis
cussing Ireland. The administration
of Ireland is today the all absorbing
question in English politics. Init
mately connected with this question is
every other question of domestic and
foreign legislation. Mr.. Chamberlains
tariff ideas cannot be considered sep
arate and apart from the Irish ques-
ton by the English Electorate. Eng
lands position in the Far East is
hampered and threatened by the do
nestle question across the channel.
Indeed ut this time the question pro-
pounded by the New York Sun not
long ago, "Why not let Ireland COP
seems pertinent. 1t quite passes the
understanding, for us to realize that
England cannot be made to see that it
is both for her interest and the inter-
est of the Empire that Ireland should
be pacified. Ireland dissatisfied and
in revolt with more than 80 skillful
parliamentarians in the British Par
lament hampering and delaying every
measure Of legislation which does not
contain something for Ireland is doing