The Irish standard., 1914-10-10
MANIFESTO 0F NATIONALIST LEADER
Present Conflict One Test Mems Souls Declares. Fate
of Celtic Nations in the Balance Irish Brigade Pro-
posed. Recruiting Efforts of Leader Rebuked.

John Redmond has declared that
''This Home Rule Bill is the greatest
and most satisfactory means of Home
Rule ever offered to this country"
1--WE were reminded the other
day." he said, "that it was not repeal
of the Union. No; but it is some
thing far more valuable to Ireland
than Repeal of the Union. Grattan's
Parliament was Independent in
theory, but it was dependent and
impotent in practice. No measure
passed by that parliament could be-
come law until it had passed the King
and Council in England, and the ex-
ecutive of Grattan's Parliament was
responsible not to the Parliament of
Ireland but to the Parliament of
England. y X In 1898, as you ali
know, the Protestant Parliament Of
the day extended the franchise to the
Catholics of Ireland.
Better Than Grattan's Parliament.
But they were never allowed to
exercise that franchise. When the
Union was first proposed it was de-
feated in the Irish Parliament, and
If the executive government of Ire
land had been then responsible to
the Irish Parliament dissolution
would necessarily have followed.
The constituencies would have been
consulted, and as everybody admits.
the Union would have been finally de-
feated. But the executive Of the
day was not responsible to the Irish
House of Commons, but responsible
to the English House of Commons.
No dissolution took place. The con-
stituencies were never consulted, and
in that way the Union was carried.
Well, gentlemen of the Convention.
uuder this Bill, when it becomes law,
for the first time Ireland will have
an Executive government dependent
upon the confidence of the Irish
House of Commons. The Irish Par
lament and the Irish Executive de-
penent upon and responsible to that
freely-elected Irish Parliament, will
have the control under this bill-sub-
ject to a few exceptions with which
I will deal in moment of every
purely Irish affair. Instead of hav-
ing certain subjects delegated to 1t
to deal with, it will-with certain
exceptions, to which as have said,
I will allude in moment-have
power over all Irish affairs, and is
specifically given the right and the
power to make law for the peace. or
der. and good government of Ireland.
Under Irish Control.
"Mark the first result of that. Dub
lin Castle with all its evil and blood
stained tradition disappears. That
horrible system, anti-1rish, unrepre-
sentative, centralized, bureacratic,
which has misgoverned. tortured and
ruined ireland, crumbles instantly
into dust, and a new Irish Executive
will control every Irish Board. Let
me read for you a list published In
the official White Paper of the Gov
ernment of the departments 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 Buildings-in-
cludes rates on Government property.
public works and buildings, railways,
and other services connected there
with. The second class-Civil De-
partments-includes Department OF
Agriculture, Congested Districts
Board, local Government Board,
Public Works Office. Valuation Of
fee, Stationery and Printing. and
other services connected Herewith
Glass three-Law and Justice, Law
Charges, Supreme Court. County
Courts, the Dublin Metropolitan Po-
lice, Prisons, Reformatory, and In
dustrial schools, .and other services
connected Herewith. Glass four
Education, Science and Art. Public
Education, University and Colleges,
and other services connected there
with. Glass six-The uneffecttve
and charitable services, superannua-
tion. and other services connected
Herewith; and, finally. the Irish Post
Office. With that we get immediate
ly the appointment of all Judges
whether for the Supreme Courts
County Courts. or Resident Magis-
trates through the country. And. as
you know, we get immediate control
of the Dublin Metropolitan Police
Now, il 1 stopped there and told you
we are offered bill which gives you
power over so vast field of Irish
government, would not I be justified
in saying we would be q nation Of
fools not to take it? But. gentle
men. the bill goes much further.