Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1893-04-22 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

HOME RULE BILL.  The adjourned debate on Sir M. Hicks-Beach's amendment to the second reading of the Home Rule Bill was resumed by Mr. Asquith, who characterised as transparently insincere the language used by the opponents of the bill against the Irish members, and described the Unionist case as a chaos of contradictions. There were three main questions upon which the fate of the bill should be decided, viz., whether the supremacy of the Imperial Parliament was effectually maintained, whether the bill gave Ireland a real and genuine autonomy, and whether it offered adequate safeguards for the protection of the Irish minority. Examining the proposals of the bill in detail, he answered these questions in the affirmative, declaring, in passing, that the retention of the Irish members at Westminster was essential, ard that the assurances of the Irish leaders as to the spirit in which they accepted the bill were entirely satisfactory, notwithstanding their refusal to regard it as an absolutely final measure. He was referring to the conversion of Mr. Davitt to Constitutional methods when a sudden .uproar arose from the Irish benches, several of whose occupants sprang to their feet, calling, "Name, name," and excitedly pointing in the direction of the third Opposition bench above the gangway, at the end of which Lord Cranborne was seated. Mr. Crilly loudly demanded whether an hon. member mas in order in calling Mr. Devitt a murderer. The Speaker having pointed out that no bon. meml er had been indicated, there were shouts of "Cranborne," and Lord Cranborne explained that the epithet of which complaint was made had escaped him in the heat of the moment, and that while he believed he was saying nothing but what was true, he quite admitted that it was a statement which ought not to be made in the House. The cries of "Name " being renewed, the Speaker observed that if the expression had been audibly used the noble Lord should apologise to the House, and Lord Cranborne thereupon offered an apology for having used a word which was not intended for the ears of the House. Mr. Asquith, resuming his speech, referred to Mr. Davitt's change of attitude as a significant proof of the change which had been wrought in the sentiments of the Irish people, who were now prepared to accept a measure which,while it gave full satisfaction to whatever was legitimate in the demand of Ireland, at ;lie same time maintained unimpaired the share of Ireland in the common heritage of this Empire. Admitting that perversity on the side of Ireland and pedantry on the part of England_might wreck the Constitution which the bill proposed to est up, he declared that the good faith, common sense, and self interest of the two nations were the ultimate guarantees for the safe and smooth working of the measure. He declined to regard Home Rule as an exceptional and 4esperate remedy for a desperate and exceptional disease, but considered it a natural and necessary step in our Constitutional progress, which, while inaintaining intact the Empire, would give it renewed  ale and vimr. Lord G. Hamilton denounced the bill as conveying to the minds of the Irish people the impression that the Imperial authority was on the wane and as calculated to make every Loyalist in Ireland a Separatist. The whole scheme which it proposed tumbled to pieces the moment it was practically examined. The object of its acceptance by the Irish members was not to bury the past, the evils of which had been so largely remedied by English influence during the last 50 years, but to revolutionise the present and to reverse the settlement of the centuries. The discussion was continued by Captain Norton, Mr. Ryles, and Mr. E. Blake in iunnort rif the bill, and be Mr. B. Hears and