New-York tribune., 1917-05-05
Spurious Home Rule
Some Absurdities of the Measure for
Better Government" in Ireland

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: | am afraid that many of the promi-
nent men who have expressed themselves in
favor Of justice to Ireland do not understand
the complex Irish question. In fact, it would
require a stretch of the imagination to call
the powers conferred by the Better Govern
ment of Ireland act" Home Rule. It is such
trivial measure that it is unworthy of being
the subject of international diplomacy. All
the vital essentials of self-government are
denied To begin with there is triple veto
vested in the Lord Lieutenant, the Privy
Council and the King The act declares that
the powers and authority of the British Par
Lament to legislate for Ireland will remain
unaffected and undimihshed after the Dublin
subordinate legislature is established.
The English Parliament may impose taxes
on Ireland without reference to the Irish Par
Lament.
No act of the British Parliament extending
to Ireland passed after the establishment of
the Irish Parliament may be altered or re-
jected by the Dublin legislature, even though
the new British act nfringes the powers
delegated to the Irish Parliament.
Any act passed by the Irish Parliament il
pursuance of the powers conferred upon it
may be declared void by the British Parlis-
ment.
Any law made by the Irish Parliament at
any time becomes null and void automatically
when the British Parliament passes general
act in which a different law is enacted.
The British Cabinet can direct the Lord
Lieutenant to postpone for an indefinite
period his assent to any act passed by the
Dublin Legislature.
Any act passed by the Irish Parliament,
and after it has become the law of the land,
may at any time be impugned by any person
or corporation as invalid The validity Of
the law will be decided by the Judicial Com
mttee of the Privy Council in London, CON-
posed Of three Englishmen and one Irshman.
The following vital matters cannot be dealt
with by the Dublin Parliament: Public debt,
external trade and commerce, postal service,
military and naval service, navigation, ship
ping, quarantine, coinage, currency, banking,
naturalization, alienage, weights and meas
ures, tariff bounties, export tax, customs on
articles not taxed in England, trademarks,
patents and copyright.
very vicious feature of the act is that In
volvng the matter of reserved services, which
are as follows: Land purchase, old-sge PEN
sions, national insurance, labor exchanges,
collection of taxes, savings banks, Royal Irish
Constabulary and friendly societies.
The reserved services will not come auto
matically under the jurisdiction of the Irish
Parliament without the consent of the West
minister Parliament, which may delay or hold
them as self-interest or prejudice may die
tate at the time
The taxes imposed both by the british and
Irish parliaments will be collected b. the
British tax gatherer and the English Treas
ury will dole out for Irish services any sum
it may think ft John Bull will hold the
purse. and he who holds the purse strings
will be the absolute master.
These are, in brief. few Of the fatal
shortcomings of the Better Government OF
Ireland act" II is not Home Rule or self
government as understood in Canada, Austria.
liza or South Africa. The putting into opera
tion of this act, which is. in reality. statute
Of prescription. will not settle the Irish qucs-
tion. and will not be accepted as a settlement
by the Irish in Ireland or abroad.
New York, April 80. 1917. Il. S. FOLEY.