The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-07-03

fered In another way. Your taxation
in England has been fairly enough di.
Nid'd between direct and indirect tax-
alton. In Ireland. by the reason of
the extreme poverty Of the people. it
has fallen upon the necessities of thu
people. with the result today that fn:
or % per cent of the entire taxation
has been levied by indirect taxes paid
by the poorest classes Of the commun-
ity on commodities which really are
necessities of life (cheers). Now tho
Financial Relations Commission res
p"rtcd-a unanimous report practicn,~
~. for there was. | think, only one
man of the Commission who could noe
Ireland was over-taxed to
the extent of two and three quarter
millions in proportion to her fair con-
tribution according to her resourccsJ
and Sir Robert Gitfen, one of the
greatest financial authorities, summed
up the whole matter in this way In
18s6-"To put the matter shortly, Ire-
land In population has sunk from onet
third to less than one-seventh, in capt.
tai from proportion that was ma
tcrial to less than one seventh. in gross
income from two-sevenths to less than
one seventh, in capital from a proper.
tiOn that was material to about one
tWcntyfourth. in taxable resources
from proportion that was also ma-4
terial, being perhaps about one-tenth
to n proportion that is almost inap-,
preciable, the proportion of only TO-
so. Nearly the whole taxable income
of the Irish people is. in fact, absorbed
by the state. The taxable income be-
ing about 15.O0O.OOO pounds only, tbs
Imperial Government, as we have seem,
takes nearly 100000 pounds, and thu
local taxes are over 100000 pounds.
So large a proportion Of taxation to
taxable income would be a serious fact
for any country. and there can be little
N>>"'''''" III 1ICItIIu uIIucI SuCIl
conditions" Well. since that date and
since the Financial Relations Commits.
sion sat the taxable capacity Of Irss,
land admittedly has gone down. Her
population has diminished since the
sitting of the Commission by quarters,
Of million. and during those years
her taxation has increased by about
100000 pounds a year. Now, my point,
is this. The whole of this plan, the
whole OF the effect Of the working of
this plan is in plain and direct vio-,
'lation not only OF the spirit, but Of
the letter of the Act of Union. This
is Home Rule Government, as said
at the commencement Of my speech, in
this respect that every man upon that,
bench has been pledged to Home Rule.
They say that they cannot under pres-
ent conditions give us Home Rule. Will
they. at any rate, give us the benefit
Of the Act Of Union (cheers): Article
of the Act-an Act, remember, which
Englishmen are fond of speaking Of
not as an Act, but as a Treaty, but
which we do not regard as such with
regard to which we have always felt,
as we feel today, that we would be-
justified in tearing it to pieces at any
moment Urish cheers). but as to which
your attitude has always been that It
is a treaty between the two sovereign
parliaments and two free peoples
(cheers). Article says that "if, and
when, the exchequers of the two coun-
tries are amalgamated and when the
system Of indiscriminate taxation shall
be, established for the two countrss,.
Ireland shall have such exceptions and
abatements as circumstances seem to-
necessitate in order that her taxation,
shall never exceed her relative taxable1
capacity These are the words af
what you call this treaty, what is TO,
US an; Act Of Parliament, and surely It.
IL not too much for us to claim from
this or any government that we should
..5.4 !.