The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-11

! eiop "hiCus VIII DC introduced by 1r1Bn
Secretary Augustine Blrreli about the
/ second week of March, Will. II is un-
derstood, provide for the setting up at
Dublin OF separate Parliament, con-
sistinG OF two chambers. with an
executive similar to the British Cabi-
net, and authorized TO doal with purely
| Irish affairs. Whether Ireland will be
given control of the customs and excise
revenues. tho Judiciary and police d.
, partmeAts, or whether there Will be a
| reduced Irish representation In tho
/, House of Commons at Westminster. re-
main government secrels at present.
But as Irish leader John Redmond has
been in close consultation with the Cab
lat during the drafting OF the bill,
| IL is assumed that It's provisions are
satisfactory TO him and Irishmen gen.
orally.
| The passage of the home rule bill IS
expected to prepare the way for n sys-
tenn OF homs rule all around. Sir Henry
/ Dalziel, a Scotch member. Introduces
| a bill last year to, set UP q separate
Parliament In Scotland. but owing 10
/ lack of time for debate It had to be
| dropped. Next session. how aver. a sim
liar measure is likely to be placed on
i the list, this time With tho red star
/ that denotes government measure"
/ against II. while bills granting eepa-
! rate Parliaments to Ireland and Wales
1 will almost certainly follow.
This years government program.
which Will be announced by King
George from the throne. will Include a
, number of other important measures,
notably to disestablish the Anglican
Church In Wales. to remove the griev-
/ ances of nonconformists under the sdu-
cation law and some kind OF franchise
| raform. Church and aristocracy will
| oppose these three as bitterly as the
! Orangemen will fight home rule, but
the feeling In Wales in favor OF the
disesta blishm ent of their. church Is So
strong that the bill Is almost certain
| to pass.
AS 10 the franchise bill. there is con-
| siderable uncertainty. and here the ad-
| ministration Is in such quandary that
| IL Will be difficult to satisfy all Its
! followers. Last November Premier AS
quith pledged himself to introduce a
fnr-reaching measure granting univer-
sal manhood suffrage, instead OF the
present archaic and grossly unfair
system. which makes property owner
ship the only voting qualification; but
great as Ia the need for immediate
+, reform. 1t Is feared that the govern
ment's program for tho session is al
ready overloaded. -
Tho situation has been badly compii-
Gated by the introduction OF tho wo-
, man suffrage question, and the bitter
ness with which this issue alone will
be fought Will make II practically i'm
possible to dispose of the measure III
the time at Parliamcnt's disposal Inn
mediately after promising the man
hood suffrage bill, Premier AsquIth told
O womans deputation that while he
personally still opposed thf granting
Of the franchise to women. the gov
eminent would accept an amendme t
to the franchise reform bill Including
women In It's scope, provided thsre was
parliamentary majority in favor. He
told them that it was up to them to
persuade Parliament but that he and
4 some of his colleagues In the Cabinet
would oppose tn I'm. The women were
satisfied with this only because they
. had the support Of Chancellor of tine
EXchequer David Lloyd George, Navy
Secretary Winston Churchill and other
prominent politicians.
The situation thus sated has be-
come impossible. for Lloyd George ana
J his followers arranged for vigorous
otes-for-women campaign, and AS
.quith, true to his principles. declared
that he would head an opposition CAM
paign. The spectacfs OF Cabinet min
) listers campaigning against each other
). is absolutely unprecedented In English
:. political history, for the Cabinet must
always be unahirnous in public, what
ever they may be In tn council cham
her, and such g. SPLIT could sea rcely fall
to result In the wreck of the govern
ment party. According to- parlia. ne.s-
tary practice. the Premier must be suS-
} ported in season and gu, Of season by
4 his colleagues, and he must either kick
out dissenting members or resign him
aolf
With tho other important questions.
! on whichNthe Cabinet Is unanimous, to
} be dealt with, Premier Asqulth has