Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-05-08

After the bill had been presented and
explained by Mr. BirrelI, it was criti-
ciZcG and ridiculcd by a. ]. Balfour on
behalf of the opposition. John r. Ped
mord then delivered brilliant speech.
noteworthy principally for its digniffed
ana f"rc"ful exposition Of Ireand's
claims for complete home rule.
The audience Of the speakers was
worthy the occasion. The entire minis
try occupied seats on the front benches.
Mr.. Ealfour lounGed in his chair in his
! characteristic languid attitude with
George Wyndham, the former hief sec
retarv for ireland beside him.
TIL" floor Of til" house was packed,
and the galleries held 2 notably assem-
blngc including number of peers, the
| visiting colonial Iremicrs, notably AL
fr"1 D~akin, premier Of Australia, and
several bishops. William Burke Cock
raYC "f New York was an Interested
Spectator. Members Of the Irish clergy
Wcr" conspicuous in the galleries
Mr. l!irrcll has the mannerisms of n
| cClleg" professor rather than the graceS
| Of popular orator. Most of his speech
was dry explanation Of the details Of
| the plan, although in the beginning he
eloquently Contrasted his position with
that Of Mr. Gladstone on presenting
Homo Rule, calling his task more
humble one and more commensurate
with his position and powers.
Mr.. Birrell rose to an Oratorical
height when he described the present
| system of Irish administration. He
called Dublin castle a failure. saying:
There il stands, remote. without a
fricrG. ana melancholy. while the cur
| rent Of irish life sweeps past"
''No governor had entered" he con-
tinued, ''the gloomy portals Of Dublin
Castle without a sinking Of the heart
almost equivalent to abandoning hope"
P1rnel had said that one way to
govern ireland was to send man there
to hold the balance of all parties and
administer the country in a spirit of
courage and independence. but the gov
crnment had no such man in its eye. Il
would rather write the biography Of a
deceased autocrat.' Mr.. Birrell said
than live under his rule. Such men do
not make good history
with all its shortcomings, an elective
body could be educational and teach the
Irish people self-respect'
Nobody, said Mr. Rirren, believed that
the present system Of the administration
of ireland was sound in principle or eco
| nomical. 1t had been switched off from
the great current of the national life of
the people.
Under the proposed new scheme the
irish members of Parliament would con-
| tinuc to sit at Westminster in undimin-
ished numbers, but he hoped hereafter to
find a more profitable channel for their
inluisitivcness in managing local affairs
At home. 1t was the intention to estab-
fish representative administrative coun-
Gil consisting of s. elected and a NOM
mated mer2bers, the latter to be nomI-
mated the first year by the King and
| thereafter by the lord lieutenant of Ire
land. Elected members would be elected
on the local government board franchise.
The under-secretary to the lord lieuten-
ant would be an eX-officio member Of the
council, which would have complete cor
troll of the powers vested in the depart
ment TO be handed over to its care. The
president of the council would be appoint
ed by the council itself and the chief sec
rotary would have the right to attend
! the meetings. If the existing officers Of