The Irish standard., 1912-04-27
Debate on Measure All One Way up
to Present-Asquith's Power
full Presentation.
The Only Liberal Criticism Heard
Centres About Provision for
Nominated Senate.
First Week of Exciting Debate
Has Resulted Badly for the
Unionist Party.

In his cabled letter to the Chicago
Tribune of April 21, T. P. O'Connor
comments on the Home Rule struggle
now in progress in the House Of
Commons as follows:
This bill begins its long journey
under auspices more favorable than
any of it's predecessors. Even the
raucous voice of the amateur consti-
tuition monger is silent. It is the first
time we have been mercifully spared
his performance.
One Provision Criticized.
Only one provision in the bill ex-
cites some liberal criticism-that is
the nominated senate. Nobody could
doubt that provision would excite
serious opposition and a good deal of
ridicule, coming especially as it did
from q democratic government.
The object is to secure a further
safeguard for the minority and a
nominated senate in the best form.
That would safeguard a second cham
Der elected on the same franchise, as
the first would simply be repro
duction and. therefore, no additional
security to the minority.
On the other hand a second cham
Der, elected on high franchise, would
probably become one of those mar
row, obstinate and selfish assemblies
which democracy everywhere has
found serious obstacle to democratic
progress. AS even in body of hered-
itary peers there are sections of Irish
life which might find it difficult to
enter public life through the ballot
boxes, and yet every class of Irish
life might be represented In an Irish
parliament.
One of the provisions of the bill is
that peer may sit in either one or
the other chamber. In an Irish par
lament the Irish nationalists would
be glad to see number of Irish
peers in the senate, but anyhow this
is not the clause on which the fate
of the bill will hang.
The debate up to the present has
gone all one way. Asquith's opening
statement still remains the most pow
erful presentation Of the Home Rule
measure ever made i'll the House OF
Commons, not excepting even Glad
stones.
Postmaster General Samuers expo
sition of the financial part of the
scheme is lucidity itself. and his de.
Tense of it never for a moment was
seriously assailed. To be very satis-
factory, under the circumstances, il
would have been better to have hac
majority of three figures, and we
probably will have had a majority Of
three figures on the second reading
Only one liberal voted against the
bill and only three abstatned. The
liberal party was rather unfortunate
owing to series of accidents newt.
Sir Edward Grey required vaca.
ton badly and when he left he had {
pair, but the arrangements broke
down. Another staunch Home Ruler
was compulsorily absent owing tt
duties as a judge. Another was un'
lucky enough to miss his train. The
strain of the miners strike accounts
for the illness and absence of five
members of the labor party. all Home
Rulers. Two of the best Irish mem
bers were compelled by illness to b.
absent. Two are in Australia, draw
ing large resources for the Irish wal
chest.
Few Tories Absent.
The tories, on the other hand wer'
fortunate in having so few absentees
One word as to the character of tn
Bonar Law speeches which are be
coming more rancorous. more often
sive, and vitriolic. The attack on AS
guith exceeded almost anything hear
in the House Of Commons for years
1t was hotly resented by Mr.. Asquitl
and his friends, so Asquith stand
higher now than at any moment II
his career.
A. Bonar Law is not the cannJ
cautious Scotchman he was suppose
!. "a 4 MS =