The Irish standard., 1911-07-22

Rule Bill we are going to produce.
which is absurd, because everybody
knows how Bills are constructed. The
noble marquis said at Portsmouth that
it was going to be Bill of the Par
nellite type. Well, we shall see There
10 one point I would like to make-al-
though it is not a very palatable one
for this House, and it Is not palatable
to me-
Lords Record in Irish Affairs.
Agreeing with the noble marquis on
desiring pacific agreement ii it can
possibly be obtained, and desiring the
lowering of the party temperature if it
be possible, l must point out to this
House that to insist on reserving for
this House leading place in reshap-
ing the Government of Ireland strikes
me as being maladroit What has been
the record of this House in Irish af-
fairs during the hundred years since
the Union? What has been the MAIN
stay Of all these prejudices and pas
sions, religious and otherwise, in Ire
land but the policy almost uniformly
passed in this House. For example,
everybody who knows anything of the
political history of that country since
the Union. is aware of the enormous
difficulties that have arisen mainly
through the exclusion. owing to the
passions and prejudices Of which this
House made itself the organ, of three
fourths of the population of Ireland
from eligibility to sit in Parliament.
The opinion of Ireland mas been reck-
lessly disregarded; during the greater
part of that hundred years there has
not been single representative of the
great bulk of the Irish population in
this House, and there Is not one to-
day. How could Irish legislation be
other than ignorant, mischievous, and
retrograde when this House is so ig-
norant and unconcerned with regard to
opinion and sentiment in that coun-
tr? This House is the last place where
there should be any particular insis-
tence on the ultimate and probable
wisdom of your lordships.
Mischief Of Absentee Parliament.
The mischief of absentee landlordism
in Ireland has been aggravated by the
mischief of an absentee Parliament I
now turn to section c Of the amend
ment, which deals with the Joint
Committee This amendment Is al
rect plain traverse of the Bill A noble
lord on the other side said last night
that he only abstained from voting
against the second reading of the Bill
because he relied on the Front Oppo-
sition Bench to make root and branch
amendments. This is indeed a root
and branch amendment. 1t is not really
an amendments; 1t is a scheme; it in
OF Commons. 1t is plain denial of
tho principle of the Bill Just after two
years OF discussion the ultimate judg-
ment OF the House of Commons must
be presumed to represent the will and
opinions of the electorate. Can any
one reasonably expect, in all serious
ness, that the House of Commons, only
chosen half year ago after months
and months of incessant public dis
cussion, is going to part wholesale
with it's supremacy, which was the
conspicuous issue at the election, and
entrust its proceedings. under penalty
of an appeal to the country, to this
Joint Committee? You are always
saying that at an election the electors,
beyond one or two vague points, do
Will anyone seriously say that any
elector, In any constituency, was
thinking OF this scheme and approved
it when he gave his vote at the last
election? He had never heard of it.
Therefore, when you reproach lis with
confusing the issues, remember that
1lOI, = olusie cleCtOI Ill IIle country
am not sure that any OF us here-ever
thought of such scheme. Is there
any noble lord who assented to the
second reading Of the Bill who dream
ed for moment that the end of it
was to be the supersession Of the
House of Commons and the erection of
the supremacy of this House? I am
reproached with not showing suffi-
cient disposition towards compromise
and Cancellation. Will anyone say that
am showing an uncompromising and
unconciliatory spirit when l say that
the Government cannot for an instant
accept this amendment? Therefore it
is with sincere regret, and I say it
candidly, we cannot accept such
schemes as this. which are direct
traverse of the policy Of the Govern
ment.