The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-03-16
STIFF fight ON
HOME RULE BILL
Irish Measure Will Not be Intro
duced in the Commons
Before Easter
COMPLEX FINANCIAL PROBLEM
Religious Question Also Causes
Agitation Against 1t
Debate on the Bill Promises to be One
Of the Greatest of Parlia-
mentsry DueIs.


London. March 16.--The Irish Home
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 Nauonalists lead
ers have been given a hint as to how
far the government is prepared to go.
Mr.. Churchill delivered a long speech
in Belfast without letting very much
out and he has been followed by Mr..
Birrell, the Irish secretary, who has
said even less. He. however, did tell
the country that the bill was to be in
troduced by Mr.. Asquith. the premier
In this respect following the example
Of William Ewart Gladstone, who per
sonally introduced both his Home Rule
Bills, and that this was proper as the
bill was no departmental measure, but
an important and an authoritative act
OF the whole Liberal party"
The preamble or first clause will set
iNA III AiitNA AiAt HJii N'AS hl NAA - iAAi ofAt
an Irish Parliament, House of Com
mons and a Senate with legislative
authority over the whole range of
purely Irish domestic affairs. This was
hardly news. What the people have
been asking is what safeguards have
been inserted TO protect the Protestant
minority in Ulster. and more particu-
lGrly what are to be the financial ar
rangements. The ministers have as
sured the Ulsterites that the safe
guards against religious intolerance
viii be sufficient. without having as
yet stopped the agitation against the
bill In Belfast and the surrounding
country. However,. tlris wilITnot be the
governments greatest difficulty, for the
non -conformists in England aFe not
giving their fellow rcligionists in Ire
land the same support that they did in
previous Home Rule campaigns.
Financial Problem Difficult.
What will trouble the ministers are
the financial arrangements Nationalist
members speaking in ireland lately
have been demanding full fiscal auto
nomy. demand that all government
can hardly grant and refusal of
which might cause the bill TO be re-
jected by the Dublin convention, as
was the Irish Councils Bill. The gov
ernment might grant the control Of ex-
else 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. II has been suggest
ed that a way might be found out of
the difficulty by introducing a provis-
ion 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 imports, while with
holding the power to vary the articles
on which duty Is now levied. II the de-
mands Of Ireland as % financial ar
rangcments are not satisfactory, Mr..
Redmond might prefer 10 oppose the
bill before submitting it to the con-
vention.
Contentious of ulsterites.
BESIDES the alleged unfalrness Of
placing Protestant Ulster under gov
ernment which. by the nature of
things. would be largely made up Of
Roman Catholics, the Unionists are
fighting the government on the fin
ances They point out that the trade
Of ireland has Increased enormously
in recent years and that now England
gets a very appreciable portion Of her
food supplies from the sister isle. So
long as Ireland remains in the Union
no enemy could stop that supply on
which England's very life might de-
pcnd--no enemy, that is, except an un-
friendly government in Dublin, which
could stop the export of food TO Eng
| land when she needed 1t most Ulster
too. they say. should have something
20 say about the disposal of the GUS
toms collections, FOR, while she pays
something over siO.O0O,0O0 annually in
customs. the rest of Ireland contri-
butes under $5.OOO.OO0.
II is estimated that the expenses Of
government I'm Ireland are about s55.-
| 500. 900 and the income from the island
SAL .00O 600 The balance has come out
OF the pockets OF the other members OF
the Unions and the government in its
bill proposes that Ireland should be
granted subsidy for fifteen years to
cover the deficiency.
Both Sides Campaigning.
| The,, tbcre arc the old age pcnsions
paid by the Imperial Exchequer and
the billion dollars invested In land
purchase and other matters OF finance
every one of which.offcrs difficulty to
the trainers of a Home Rule Bill. To
satisfy all. OF course, is impossible, and
even to satisfy a sufficient number oi
members of the House OF Commons to
make Home Rule possible this year
Unionists say, Is out of the question