The Irish standard., 1911-12-23
DRAFT OF HOME RULE
BILL COMPLETED
Conferences Between Cabinet Min
listers and Irish Leaders to
Begin Soon.
Announcements That Delhi is to be
Capital of india Points to Self
Government There.
Success of Campaign in England
Indicates That the Struggle
Will be Short.

, All events of the last week sink
into insigniticance in the presence Of
lutionary announcements that Delhi
| is to be the capital of India. Never
WIS a secret better kept and oven the
! houses of parliament did not have a
preliminary whisper, says II. 7. O'Con-
nor in his London cable of Dec. 16 to
the Chicago Tribune.
tories tlabbergasted and Lord Curzon
whose policy of partition of Bengal
was responsible for most of the re-
cent troubles, was speechless with
rage and despair. 1t is too soon to
express the opinion among the In
dians on the change Of capital, but
I, over the whole business. The change
is held not only to be more conven-
lent but an open recognition OF lndia's
new movement for a national spirit.
A new era opens of greater recoBni-
tion and the gradual approach Of
Home Rule in India. The tories must
erals brilliant strategy in putting the
new changes into the mouth of the
king, and when the debate comes next
year all interest will be gone and the
accomplished fact remain irrevocablc
This adds new laurels to the brows
of the liberal ministers who reveal an
equal genius for success in colonial rs
well as in their domestic policy. The
session leaves them still the omnipo-
tent masters of the situation.
Liberals Divided on Bill.
/ Tho action of the lords in swallow
ing the insurance bill without at
tempting to make a change even helps
to make further helpless the whole
tory position. but it remains to be
seen whether the insurance bill was
good elcctioncering and even the lib
erals are divided on that point, though
nobody doubts the measure in time
will be hailed as tremendous pro-
lection to the poor.
! Similarly Lloyd-George's budget
was accepted without division on its
last reading and Lloyd George dis
| played the same undiminished vigor
as on the last stages of the insurance
debate, and now he is admired even
as much as hated by his opponents.
The two by-clections still are pro-
/ cecding. There is anxiety in regard
to Ayershirc with it's small liberal ma
jorty and the notorious uncertainty
of the constituency, but it probably
will be retained by the government.
The constituency, consisting OF vast
masses Of working men. was left to a
straight fight of the liberal and tory
candidates without the complication
. of labor candidate and this was
one Of the many signs Of the appcasc-
mcnt of the bitter feeling between the
liberals and laborites during and i'm
mediatcly after the railway strike. The
settlement of that dispute and tho
compromise accepted by the masters
and men is another hopeful indication
Of the settling down Of the labor un-
rest.
j Homo Rule Bill Drafted.
The cabinet now has practically
completed it's draft Of the Home Rule
bill and active negotiations are be-
ginning between the ministers and the
, Irish leaders. No doubt is felt for
the scheme.
The position of foreign affairs is
more satisfactory. The liberal rank
and file still are against Sir Edward
Grey's diplomacy, but the general dis
:, position is to let the dead past bury
it's dead &stn it Is thought efforts
should be directed toward securing a
better understanding between Eng
; land and Germany.
The Home Rule campaign is just
closing after some hundred meetings.
every one of which was crowded and
enthusiastic. The tories will begin
J their counter campaign in January but
they show little interest in the strug-
gle except among the Orange fam