The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-05-13
AsQViTh,s AFFIRMATION.

AsoUiTH's AFFIRMATION.
MI. Lonsdale speaking in the House
OF Commons recently OH the Veto Bill
argued that the Home Rule question
ought to be- removed entirely from
the bill under discussion. He stated
that Home Rule was not an issue in
the last election and that it was his
belief that if the people of the United
Kingdom were consulted on this ques-
ton alone they would oppose it. He
further attacked the position of Prem
Ter Asquith, saying he did not think
the Prime Minister had any authority
from the electorate to take a definite
position in favor of Home Rule. Be-
tore granting Ireland self government,
he said, the question ought to be sub
nltted to the people with full real
ization of What it meant.
This line of argument on the part
OF the Tory member is both absurd
and misleading. The opposition is
driven to dire straits when it resorts
to this method of evading the issue.
II Home Rule was not an issue in the
last election then there was no issue
and there should have been no cleo
ton. Home Rule was the real issue
of the election; about it the whole
contest turned. The Tories are grad
ually retreating. They concede the
necessity Of a change in the constitu-
ton of the upper chamber. They have
done that willingly with the hope of
thereby making /, more effective re-
s'stance to the clause which, for Ire
land, is the really important part of
the Veto Bill.
MIR. Asquith's reply to the charge
! that Home Rule was not an issue at
the General Election and that it was
dishonest for him to pretend that he
had any authority from the electorate
to carry Home Rule, is couched in no
uncertain terms. He cited the cam
paisn speeches made by members of
both parties in which Home Rule was
specifically mentioned and concluded
thus: a.. y;
| Has anybody ever seen either on
the floor of this House or in a court of
law more complete catena of proof
drawn from both the one side and the
other, that whatever else was in doubt
at the last General Election no doubt
was left either by us who support the
limitation of the Veto or by those who
were opposing it. That one of the
| results-and indeed one of the first re-
sults-of that change in our constitu-
tional system would be to carry
through Parliament a Bill granting
self government to dreland. If that is
the case what is left of the charge of
the noble lord, who has just sat down,
that l myself and my friends have
tricked and befooled and deceived the
electors: That we have kept stealth.
lily and of set purpose in the dark this
sinister intention to use the new pow
er-what I call the recovered liberties
of the House of Commons in regard to
legislation-to grant a measure which
over and over again in the clearcst and
most emphatic language we declared
in our opinion. to be necessary to the
reconciliation of two unhappily- es-
tranged peoples. and therefore the set
ting of this Parliament free for the
discharge of it's proper duty, the con-
solidation and the real unity Of the
Empire. That is the case, and sub
NIT it to the House of Commons and
shall be glad to hear what answer
there is to it,
! This language ought to be clear and
conclusive enough to satisfy the most
skeptical as to what the Premier's at
ttude toward the Irish question is. If
the Veto Bill ever passes. and it will
not be long before 1t is enacted into
law, it will not be so amended as to
exclude the possibility of the passage
Of Home Rule bill under it. That is
one of the great purposes for which it
/, is being passed.
! FROM THE CAPITOL