The Irish standard., 1907-05-11

of the present parliamentary areas. He
did not think 1O7 members We're too
many to discharge the important du-
ties assigned to them. The council
would be elected for three years and
authorized to establish as many COM
mittees as it pleased, but it must es-
tablish finance, public works, educa-
ton and local government board COM
mittees, the chairmen Of which would
be appointed by the lord lieutenant.
1t was proposed to establish new
education department, for primary and
secondary education, to be placed under
the control of the council.
For the financial purposes of the
eight departments a certain annual sum
to be fixed by parliament every five
years, would be charged to the CONSOLE
dated fund and paid into separate
Irish fund. The present cost of the
eight departments was estimated at a
little over s1o,ooo,ooo yearly. The gov
ernment proposed to hand over in ad
dition the sum of $3,250,O00 yearly, Of
which s1,500,O0O must be devoted to
pub works and the general develop
nent of the country, including other
statutory payments. An Irish fund.
therefore. to the amount of a, little over
| $20,000,000 annually, would be created
The Irish fund would be paid into a.
special Irish treasury. to be created by
an order in council and having an
Irish treasurer at it's head.
| The council would have the power to
appoint or remove the officers of the
eight departments mentioned above,
but 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
cluded providing that no preference
whatever shall be shown to any relig-
ious denomination in appointments,
and that any resulting from such pref
erence shall be invalid.
| In conclusion Mr.. sBirrell said:
1.-THE government has been told that
the bill paved sthe way for home rule
If the bill is passed and the new coun-
Gil is a. success then dare say 1t
might pave a way If, on the other
hand, it is a failure, it might present
considerable obstacles, but surely the
Unonists will not refuse Ireland an op-
portunity for training her people to ac-
quire any right they ought to possess
because if the measure proves success
full one of the difficulties in the way. OF
home rule will have been removed.
Mr.. Balfour. the opposition leader
chara cterized the bill as grossly unfair
as the Irish members of parliament
were still able to interfere in English
and Scotch affairs while the house of
commons would be unable to say a
word in the analogous business about
to be transferred to the new council
The measure would legitimately re-
lieve the aspirations Of the Irish and
would only cause confusion in the ad-
ministration and entail real grievances
on Scotland and England.
He declared that there was no object
which was desired in connection with
the government of Ireland which
would be furthered by the extraordi-
nary proposals Of the Irish secretary
More preposterous suggestions regard
ing local government had never beer
made. They would cause collisions
with the authorities and inevitably in.
volve a breakdown Of the whole
scheme. The proposals would satisfy
neither the English nor the Scotch and
still less the Irish.
John Redmond, the Irish leader. said
that until he and his colleagues ha6
time to consider every feature of the
bill and elicit Irish public opinion ii
regard to it, no one could expect him
to give either deliberate or fina
judgment. Mr.. Gladstone proposed tc
solve the problem by the full and franz
concession of self government and au.
tonomy to, the Irish people. but wha,
the present government offered was moi
home rule and rested their claim or
} their historic right and the admitted
failure of a century of British govern.
!, ment Of Ireland.
/ AS home rulers, Mr.. Redmond
thought they were justified in regardinf
| the scheme as consistent with tht
maintenance of their aspirations, ant
he proceeded to apply certain tests t.
the scheme regarding giving genera
| and effective control to Irish rubli,
opinion over the matters which the bill
dealt with.