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

the department were retired by the coun-
| ell they must he given full pensions.
| Exercise of the powers vested in the
departments would be controlled by reso-
| buttons of the council and the supreme
cy of the imperial Parliament would be
| safeguarded by the power given TO me
\ lord lieutenant to reserve his consent 10
| any vresolution of the council and the
eight departments which would be made
subject TO the new council.
| The departments coming unde: the con-
troll of the proposed Irish Council would
be the local government board. depart
ment of agriculture, congested districts
beard commissioners OF public works, ma
| tional education and intermediate edu-
Ication, inspectors of the reformatory and
Industrial schools, and the registrary.
general.
The supreme court judiciature, royal
| Irish constabulary, Dublin metropolitan
police. the land commission and the prlS-
ons board, would remain under the con-
trol Of the imperial authorities.
| Mr. Birrell went on 10 explain that the
| council being elected on q local govern
iment board franchise, peers and women
| could vote. The constituencies roughly
| would be the same as those of the pres
| ent parliamentary areas. He did not
! think 1O1 members We're too many to dis
| charge the important duties assigned to
| them. The council would be elected Tor
| three years and authorized to establish
| rs many committees as it pleased, but
! ii must establish finance, public works,
|
committees, the chairman of which would
he Amounted by the lord lieutenant. 1t
was proposed to establish new edu-
cation department for primary and sec
ondary education. to be placed under the
control of council.
For the financial purposes of the eight
departments a certain annual sum, TO De
fixed by Parliament every five years
would be charged to the consolidated
fund and paid into separate Irish fund.-
The present cost of the eight depart
lments was estimated at little over $lo'-
lOOOOG0 yearly. The government proposed
to hand over in addition the sum OF 3d.
10000 yearly of which S1,5W,UO0 must DC
devoted to public works and the senef al
/ development of the country, mciuHlhs
other statutory payments. An irish 1uf'u'
therefore. to the amount of little over
500 geo 900 annually would be created inc
Irish fund would be paid into a speclal
Irish treasury to be created by an ORDER
in council, and having an irish treasurer
at its head.
The council would have the power 70
| annoint or remove the officers OF the
eight departments mentioned above, put
the rights of the existing officers would
be preserved.
| Under the bill any British subject
would be able to hold the office of lord
lieutenant without preference FOR any
religious belief A clause was also IN
| c!udad provided that no preference
whatever shall be shown to any rell-
gious denomination in appointments
| and that any resulting from such pref
crcrce shall be invalid.
'"The government has been told that
the bill paved the way for Home Rule'
II the bill is passed and the new coun-
oil is Il success then l dare say 1t might
pave the way. If, on the other hand, II
is a failure, it might present consider
| able obstacles, bur surely the tnloniSts
will not refuse Ireland an opportunity
for training her people to acquire any
right they ought to possess. because IL
| the measure proves successful, one oil
the difficulties in the way of Home kuie
will have been removed"
| Mr.. RalfOur, the opposition leader
| characterized the bill as grossly unfair
as the Irish members of Parliament
were ~till able to interfere in English
Il and Scottish affairs, while the House
Of Commons would be unable to say q
word in the analogous business about to
be transferred to the new council. The
measure would not legitimately relieve
tho aspirations Of the Irish and would
only cause confusion in the administra-
ton and entail real grievances on Scot
land and England.
He declared that there was no OBJ
iect which was desired in connection
with the government of Ireland which
would be furthered by the eXtraordina :
nv proposals of the Irish secretary.
More preposterous suggestions regard
ing local government had never been
made. They would cause collisions with
the authorities and inevitably involve
a breakdown Of the whole scheme. The
proposals would satisfy neither the
English nor the Scotch and still less the
4 Irish.
John Redmond, the Irish leader, said
that until he and his colleagues had
time to consider every feature of the
bill and elicit Irish public opinion in
regard 10 il, no one could expect him to
give either deliberate or 4 final judg-
mont.
| Mr.. Gladstone proposed to solve the
problem by the full and frank cOnces-