Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-03-16
Sill WILL be INTRODUCED IN
HOUSE OF COMMONS
-. AFTER EASTER.
GOVERNMENT MEASURES
WILL GRANT INNOVATIONS
Call For Irish Parliament, Made Up Of
House and ssnats-Mueh Division Of
Opinion Over Finances and Control
Of custems-RsIisieus Beliefs Enter
Into Contest.

rule bill is not to be introduced in the
house OF commons before Easter
Thus far the members of the minis
try have kept the secret as to the de-
tails of the bill entirely to themselves,
unless perhaps the nationalist leaders
have been given hint as to how far
the government is prepared to go. Mr..
Churchill delivered long speech in
Belfast without letting very much out
and he has been followed by Mr.. Bir-
fell, the Irish secretary, who has said
even less. He, however, did tell the
country that the bill was to be intro
duced by Mr.. Asquith, the premier in
this respect following the example Of
William Ewart Gladstone. who person
ally introduced both his home rule bills.
and that "this was proper, as the bill
was no departmental measure, but an
authoritative act Of the whole liberal
party"
The preamble or first clause will set
forth that the bill sets up on Irish soil
an Irish parliament, a house OF COM
mons and a senate, with legislative au-
thority over the whole range Of purely
Irish domestic affairs. This was hardly
news. What the people have been ask
ing is what safeguards have been In
serted to protect the protestant MI
nority in Ulster, and more particularly
what are to be the financial arrange
ments. The ministers have assured
the Obstetrics that the safeguards
against religious intolerance will be
sufficient without having as yet stopped
the agitation against the bill in Belfast
and the surrounding country. However.
this will not be the governments great
est difficulty. for the nom conformists
in England are not giving their fellow
religionists in Ireland the same sup
port that they did in previous home
rule campaigns.
LII, Finances Bothsrsome.
What will trouble the ministers are
the, financial arrangements. National
list members speaking in Ireland lately
have been dema nding full fiscal auton-
omy 4 demand that the government
can hardly grant and refusal OF which
might cause the bill to be rejected by
the Dublin convention, as was the Irish
councils bill. The government might
grant the control of excise or inland
revenue, but to hand over the control
OF the customs would be to court the
opposition Of some Of their own English
and Scotch free trade supporters. 1t
has been suggested that way might
be found out Of the difficulty by intro
ducing a provision that complete free
trade should be continued between the
two countries and by giving the Irish
parliament the power Of varying the
rates Of customs duties on foreign i'm
ports. while Withholding the power to
vary the articles on which duty is now
levied. II the demands Of Ireland as
to financial arrangements are not sat
isfactory, Mr.. Redmond might prefer
to oppose the bill before submitting 1t
to the convention.
Island Trade Increases.
Besides the alleged unfairness Of
placing protestant Ulster under gov
ernnent which. by the nature OF things,
would be largely made up Of Roman
Catholics, the Cnionists are fighting the
government on the finances. They point
out that the trade of Ireland has in
creased enormously in recent years and
that nowTEngland gets a very appreci-
ahae portion OF her food supplies from
the sister isle. So long as Ireland re-
mains in the union no enemy could stop
that supply. on which England's very
life might depend-no enemy, that is.
except an unfriendly government in
Dublin, which could stop the export of
food to England when she needed It
most. Ulster too, they say. should have
something to say about the disposal Of
the customs collections, for, while she
pays something over $4,000. 900 an
nually incustoms. the rest of Ireland
contributes under S.. 100000.
I. il estimated that the expense Of
government in Ireland are about $751;
100000 and the income from the island
S41.ooo.ooo. The balance has come out
Of the pockets Of the other members of
the union and the government in its bill
proposes that Ireland should be granted
a subeidy for fifteen years to cover the
deficiency. Then there are the old age
pensions. paid by the imperial ex-
chequer and the billion dollars invested
in land purchase and other matters OF
finance every one Of which offers diff
ficulty to the trainers Of home rule
bill To satisfy all. Of course, is impos-
sible, end even to satisfy sufficient
number Of members Of the house Of
commons to make home rule possible
this year. unionists say. IL out Of the
question. Therefore they are looking
for q general election in the summer.
Both Sides Campaigning.
Both sides are campaigning in Eng
land, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, but
still Ulster remains by far the most In
terested Excitement has cooled down
since Mr. Churchill's visit to Belfast;
but the Uhonist have no intention Of
allowing this, the greatest Asset In their
can1paign-the intention Of Ulster to
fight-to lose its force. To keep up the
lighting spirit. therefore. Mr.. Bonar
Law. the Unionist leader. is to visit
Belfast on Easter Tuesday and address
a great open-air gathering. IS did the
nrst lord of the Admiralty. He - TO
be- supported by the Duke Of AbercoFn,
Sir Edward Carson and others. Preced-
ing the meeting there IL to be a great
DEMONSTRATION of Unionists and . pa
ssde thru the city. Should, the. para0e
pass thru the Nationalist section
istroops ni&y be needed, AZ tiloy we.c
0uritg Mr.. Churchilrs visit. It IL ex-
pecte6 that there will be in the parade
10o. 600 members Of the Ulster Union
| 1t council. Loyal Orange lodge and
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