THE HOME RULE BILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2069, 19 October 1893, Page 17

THE HOME RULE BILL.

(Per Prhss Association.)

London, October 10,

Lord Churchill considers that the House of L'>rds will deserve to be abolished if it pastes the Home Rule Bill. Mr Redinoud baid, in the course of a speech at Dujljd, that the P^raeilitcs were obliged to support the Government, in the Lope that the latter would not continue to refuse amnestks to political prisoners.

In tl c course cf h;s speech at Dublin Mr John lledmond threa'eued to seriously embair-tbs Mr Gladstone when the House meets in Februaiy.

October 11.

The member.* of the Pdrnellite party have decided to spord the time occupied by the autumn se>-sion, if it is devoted simpl/ to Engl sh business, in organising in Ireland. October 15.

It ? s repotted thai, the Nationalists are thinking of mc.bing Mr A. O'Connor, member for Donr-g-il East, loader iu&tead of Mr Justin M Caithy.

(Peij Mail Steamer at Auckland.)

The House of Commons jatt at noon on August 30, to consider the Home Rule Bill in its fiual stage. There was an exceptionally large attendance. Mr Gladstone and Mr Morley were enthusiastically cheered as they entered. After a number of amendments had been dis,>os*;d of without; debate, Mr Gladstone, amid a storm of cheers, rose to move the tbird reading of the bill. He began hi 3 speech with reference to the criticisms made by the Unionist leaders on the historical precedents that he cited on former occasions for Heine Rule for Ireland. In opposition he contended that in no other country could analogies be found for not changing the union between Great Britain and Ireland. The contention could not be supported by historical facts. In Austria, Hungary, Norway, and Sweden, in the United States, and in the British colonies, were to be found abundant proofs that it was altogether desirable to separate local from Imperial affairs. Throughout European aud American literature it is not possible to find a writer entitled to consideration who his approved of the conduct of England towards Ireland, or attempted to apologise for the grievous, shameful history which, since the tiuion, they had felt compelled to deplore. Mr Gladstone, continuing, said he had regarded the closure as au evil that ought to be tolerated only for the avoidance of a much greater evil. Those opposed to the bill had adopted a course never before adopted, partly to attempt to deliberately destroy the measure by a maps of amendments, aud partly to try and take back in morsels the boon "granted in principle. It was not the complexity of the bill, but the complexity of the amend ment', which consumed the time It was contended that the bill would separate the islands, destroy the Constitution, break up the empire, and make Irishmen supreme in British affairs. Suppose the falsehoods to be true, had they not then a terrible hold upon ourselves? "Must we not adoaib that of our 700 years of British connection with Ireland, the result of our treatment has been that we have brought her to such a state that she cannot, without danger of ruin, undeibake a responsibility which in every other country is found to be within the capacity of the people and fraught with the richest benefits ?—(Prolonged Nationalist cheers.) We deny that incapacity has been laid by the Almighty upon any particular branch of our race." Mr Gladstone closed his address as follows :—" We have faith in national liberty, faith in its efficacy as an instrument of national education. We believe that experience will spread over the whole vast field. It encourages us to our work at every point Finally, we feel that the passing of this great measure after more than 80 days' debate does, will, and must constitute the greatest among all steps hitherto taken towards the attainment of a certain and early triumph " Prolonged cheers followed from the liibh and Ministerial benches Mr Leonard Courtney, Unionist, then moved the rejection of the. bill and spoke freely. Mr John Redmond, 1 ader of the Parnellites, who followed Mr Courtney, defended his attitude towards the bill. He said it was defective in some respects and disappointing in others. Nobody ia his senses could regard the bill as a final and sat isfactory settlement of the great question at issue.

THE LORDS REJECT THE BILL

A significant feature in the Home Rule Bill discussion in the House of Lords on September 8 was the facb thai special police were ordered to report for duty in the police yards in front of the House of Parliament in order to be ready for immediate aciion in case of a hostile demonstration against the Lords when the latter left the building after the division on the Home Rule Bill The Hou;e presented a brilliant and almost unprecedented spectacle when, at 10 p.m., Lord Salisbury rose to deliver the last speech in opposition to the Home Rule Bill. The House was crowded, as well as all the approaches. Lord Salisbury was loudly cheered when he arose. In the cjurse of his speech he 6aid : "The propo j ed retention of Irish members in the House of Commons is an outrage so enormous and grorc sque that he was surprised that an? responsible Government dared to suggect it — (Cheers ) All *he arguments of the Government showed that their policy was one of di f-pair. They had no right to take the sh p when ib endangered, the existence, happinu s. snd prosperity of the Irish peoplp. The men who would govern Ireland, should the bill pass, are those who have been found guilty of criminal conspiracy. Should we not be in an iDfiuitely worse position than at present if we entrusted Ireland to such men in the event of trouble with the States or any other foreign Power ?— (Louel cheers.) If you allow tbi-s atrocious, "reacherous bill to pasF, >ou would be untruo to the duty which descended to you from a splendid ancestry." Tho Earl of Kimbeil^y spoke for the bill on behalf of the Government. A division was then taken, resulting in 419 against the bill aud 41 for it.

In the street an immense crowd awaited tbe announcement of the result of the division A StroDg detachment of police mingled with the crowd, and were drawn up in front of the entrance to the building. When the result was finally anuounced, the people received ifc w^th vociferous cheering. An analysis of vut-ur-i shows that of 25 bishops aud archbishop 1 ? who were present at the division all voted with the majority. The vote is the largest ever recorded in the Hov e of Lords.

The National Federation issued a circular on September 12 agninst the House of Lords. In this circular the federation declares that seven years of discussion and 82 days of consideration by the House of Commons definitely ascertained the wishes of 2,000 000 of electors, yet this counts for nothing when opposed to the view of 400 Conservative peers. Continuing, the circular declared that the mending of the House of Lords is now in the front rank of the Liberal programme in accordance with Mr Gladstone's

declaration at Newcastle. The circular concludes that as Home Rule was passed by the House of Commons aud was rejected by the House of Lords it is doubly certain to become law. It also says that not only will the Irish question be settled, but that a real era of reiorm is dawning for the democracy of the United Kingdom.