The Irish standard., 1912-05-11


cred by Mr.. John Redmond before the
Dublin Convention on April %. It
was enthusiastically received by one
of the largest and most representa-
tive bodies of men ever convened in
Ireland:
Now, gentlemen, l don't suppose
there is any man. of any political
opinion, in Ireland who will grudge
me today the qualification and the
pride of congratulating this Conven-
ton on the fact that the Introduction
OF the Home Rule bill and the char
acter of the Home Rule bill are a
complete vindication and justification
of the policy of the Irish Party for
the last three years. in the face of I'M
paralleled difficulties and of much dis
couragement and even attack here in
Ireland. All through those three years
we have been assaulted assailed by
suspicion, by Misrepresentation, and,
I am sorry to say, in some quarters
by abuse; but we have felt all through
that we had the Irish nation at our
back. We endured, and we have re-
fused to bulge one hairs breadth
from the promise we put before the
country, and today we have our COM
plete justification. Gentlemen, the
Home Rule bill is the greatest and
most satisfactory measure Of Home
Rule ever offered to this country. We
were reminded the other day that it
Is not repeal Of the Union. No: but
it is something far more valuable to
Ireland than repeal of the Union.
Grattan's Parliament was independ-
ent in theory; but it was dependent
and impotent in practice. No law
passed by that Parliament, no measure
passed by that Parliament could be-
come law until 1t had passed King
and Council in England; and the Exc
cutive of Grattan's Parliament was
responsible not to the Parliament OF
Ireland but to the Parliament of Eng
land. We have heard recently in the
House of Commons statements that
the constituencies have not been con-
suited on Home Rule. OF course the
statement is ludicrously false. In
three general elections in succession
dom have returned a Government
pledged to the principle of Home Rule
But it is pertinent to ask how was
the Union carried? Was it submitted
to the constituencies?
Refers to Act Of Union.
In 1898, as you all know, the Pro-
testant Parliament of the day extend
ed the franchise to the Catholics Of
Ireland. But they were never allowed
to exercise that franchise. When the
Union was first proposed 1t was de-
feated in the Irish Parliament and If
the Executive Government of Ireland
had been then responsible to the Irish
Parliament dissolution would have
necessarily followed. The constitu-
encies would have been consulted, and
as everybody admits, the Union would
have been finally defeated. But the
Executive of the day was not respon-
sible to the Irish House of Commons,
but responsible to the English House
Of Commons. No dissolution took
place. The constituencies were never
consulted, and in that way the Union
was carried. Well, gentlemen of the
Convention, under this bill when it
becomes law for the first time Ireland
will have an executive government de-
pendent upon the confidence of the
Irish House of Commons. The Irish
Parliament and the irish Executive
dependent upon and responsible to
that freely-elected Irish Parliament.
will have the control under this bill
subject to few exceptions with which
purely Irish affair. Dublin castle with
all its evil and hlood-stained tradi-
ton. disappears. That horrible sys-
tenn anti-Irish, unrepresentative,
centralized, bureaucratic, which has
misgoverned. tortured and ruined Ire
land, crumbles instantly into dust,
and new Irish Executive will con-
troll every Irish Board and every Irish
Department.
Power Of Irish Parliament.
Let me read for you list publish
ed in the official White Paper of the
Government the other day Of the de-
partments which will Immediately
come under the control Of the Irish
Parliament and the Irish Executive
They are put in seven classes. The
first class-Public Works and Build
ings includes rates on Government
property, public works and buildings
railways and other services connected
Herewith. The second class - Civil
no,,fv, a~%o Il