Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-11

of the king, was given the right Ito re.
serve any resolution Of the Irish council
on any matter relating to the exercise OF
powers to which this act applies for his
consideration. and any resolution so re-
served shall not operate unless and until
1t is confirmed by him."
That Is the clumsy way in which the
bill expressed the Objectionable fact that
no act OF the council could be effective I'M
til 1t was approved by the lord lieuten-
ant. His lordship was given the author
ity to return legislation which did not
meet with his approval for the recons1d-
Grafton of the council and for such amend
ment as he considered necessary to
preserve the efficiency of the service or to
prevent public or private injury
Power Of the Lord Lieutenant.
His lordship was given the right to ap-
point and remove all officials and other
authorities now vested in the king. But
the civil service law was still to be ap-
piled to all the clerical force. He was
given the authority latter consultation
with the Irish council to reorganize, ANAL
gamate and, II necessary, dissolve any
government department or authority in
Ireland. and to constitute new depart
ments If necessary" He was authorized
to reorganize the educational department
and to add six persons including women.
at his option, persons having experience
in education and not being members of
the council" to the national board OF
education to serve in connection with
committee of the council.
The council was authorized to appoint
such committees of its own number as
1t considered necessary. but the chairman
of every committee shall be appointed
by the lord lieutenant from among the
members of the council
Section Is read as follows: I'm the eX-
ercise of any powers to which this act ap-
plies no preference shall be shown to any
religious denomination and any act or
thing done, SO far as it gives any such
preference, shall. If questioned in accord
ance with this act, be declared invalid"
The lord lieutenant. by order of coun-
Gil. was directed by the bill to organize
a new department. to be called the Irish
treasury, which should have the finan-
cial administration of the government,
made from the regular revenues of the
island for a period of five years, as fol-
lows:
For the general expenses of the govern
ment. f3.7JOOOO.
For maintenance and extension of pub
lie works. f:DOOOO.
For extraordinary expenses that could
not be anticipated, 9114,OOO.
These appropriations amounted to less
than one-half of the revenues collected in
for fixed period, in order that the ar
rangement might be terminated or alter
ed as experience suggested. These sums
were considered sufficient to cover the ne
cessities of the "devolution.' The re-
mainder of the revenues, amounting to
some s6.N1.o0o. were reserved for the
disposition of the British parliament.
Arguments in Favor of Bill.
The arguments in favor of the bill were
that 1t would give the Irishmen a far
more extensive control over their own af-
fairs than they enjoy at present; it would
associate them with their government and
it would stimulate them to an efficient
and economical administration; it would
enable them to reOrganize the executive
and save large sum now
being wasted or misapplied and give
them the right to dispose of whatever
amount was saved.
Secondly, it would relieve the British
OF burden of business that 1T
Is unable to handle intelligently and
transfer the details of Irish legislation to
the Irish council. including all private
measures and franchises; 1t would bring
local knowledge to bear on the solution
Of local problems and bestow upon Ire
land large measure of responsibility for
the Improvement of the people. In other
words, 1t would serve as preparatory eX-
perience for complete home rule.
The devolution scheme was submitted
by the leaders of the Irish party in par
Lament to the largest convention of their
followers ever held in Ireland. and was
very promptly and emphatically rejected.
The convention took extreme grounds and
resolved that the people of Ireland would
not accept anything but the full Glad
stOnian measure of home rule.
Witty, But a Mistake.
1t is witticism often quoted that IAN
Irishman doesn't know what he wants and
he won't be satisfied till he gets it, That
is very witty. but the first clause is
mistake. Pat does know what he wants.
Nobody was ever more positive on such
matter, and 1t is true perfectly that he
will not be satisfied till he gets 1t.
Again, 1t is often suggested that Ire
land has had such unpleasant experiences
with parliament that you wouldn't think
she would want another There is an
other mistake. If words, acts and inten-
lions mean anything. the Irish people will
not be satisfied until they have their own
parliament to make their own laws: their
own courts to interpret them and their
own police to enforce them, and that Is
what they mean when they talk about
home rule. That is what the convention
demanded in place of the 'devolution
Nearly everybody except ''the people at
the castle" was dissatisfied with the
measure proposed. 1t had very few
friends. The home rulers opposed 1t be-
cause 1t was "only an installment," as
they said. The unionists opposed it be-
cause 1t went too far and was "home
rule in disguise" The bishops and the
priests opposed 1t because it deprived
them of their present control of the
schools system and placed everything that
affects the interests of the Catholic
Church in uncertainty for the future.
while they are perfectly satisfied with
conditions as they stand at present. The
manufacturers opposed 1t because 1t con-
tanned nothing that would benefit them
and placed the control Of the local taxes
in the hands of people they distrusted.
The Presbyterians and other non-con-
formists opposed it because the Roman
in Ireland and would control the pro-
posed council.
1t was objected to again because the
British parliament retained control of the
police and the courts. which cost more
than everybody believes they should And
there was general remonstrance against
the bill because 1t would perpetuate the
present government in Ireland which
Sydney Brooks. we'll known writer de-
scribes as That amazing medley of
Over-manned, overlapping boards, with
all the vices of a bureaucracy and little
of it's mechanical efficiency. 1t has long
been. and Is today. the standing example
of all that Is Wasteful, incompetent and
demoralizing In the government. 1t has
scarcely a single defender anywhere in
Ireland. I scarcely know what merit it
possesses or what faults it lacks.
"A country with one-fourth the number
v,1f nt1 n ,ffn e. L.