ERIN'S USELESS VICEROY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 174, 22 July 1916, Page 13

ERIN'S USELESS VICEROY.

TO BE ABOLISHED AFTER SEVEN CENTURIES. AN EMPTY AND UNPOPULAR OFFICE. (By "Ex-Attache") Save for a few of the shopkeepers in Dublin, who look forward to the Castle season as the epoch of their annual harvest, there are few who will feel disposed to find fault with the intention of the British Government, announced by Prime 'Minister Asquith in the House of Commons last week, to abolish the office of Viceroy of Ireland, for some time to come, at any rate, and most probably for ever. The evidence furnished by Hβ incumbent, Lord Wimborne, before the Royal Commission, presided over by Lord Hardinge, engaged in investigating the circumstances of the recent rebellion in the Emerald Isle, has revealed to the public the utter iiselessness of the poet. Well intentioned, Wmiborne found that its functions were entirely of an ornamental character, that he was restricted to the role of a mere decorative figurehead, and that, in spite of the pomp and ceremony with which lie was surrounded, he enjoyed even loss executive power than the head clerks of the various Government Departments at Dublin. HAD NO AUTHORITY. He claims, in a rather pathetic manner, that no one in authority would accord any heed to his warnings as to the imminence of trouble, that bis recommendations for the adaption of precautionary measures were spurned, and that his demand for military reinforcements were ignored. He intimates, indeed, that he was given to understand that, although he was the King's Gov-ernor-General at Dublin, lie bad nothing iriiataoever to do with the administration ef the Government of the Emerald Isle, Triiieh was vested entirely in the hands of iiis chief secretary, tile Eight Hon. Augustine Birrell, and in the tatter's under-secretary, Colonel Sir Matthew Nathan. He •was likewise given to understand that, although in theory and in official Tank Mr. Birrell was merely bis chief secretary, yet the latter, by reason of his possession of a seat in the Cabinet, ■was Jβ. a position to be far more thoroughly; acquainted -with the views and intentions of the Grown and Government concerning Ireland. Indeed, Lord Wimborne's testimony before the Hardinge Commission went to show that it -was such a ridiculous sham that there is little prospect of. its evet ibeing ioV

FAVOURED BY NATIONALISTS. It has frequently been suggested, especially during the latter half of the nineteenth century that the ollice should be abolished. But, curiously enough, this reform was invariably opposed by the Irish Nationalists on the ground that it would impair the rights of Ireland to be considered as a distinct kingdom, and that it might endanger her prospects of obtaining her long-soug-ht-for autonomy. But now that Homo , Rule has been conceded to the Emerald J Isle by both Houses of Parliament at Westminster, and by the Crown, and that the application of the Home Rule Act, temporarily delayed by reason af the war, is liable to receive enforcement at any moment by means of an Order-iii-Council, the Nationalists will no longer oppose the abolition of the ViceRoyalty of Ireland. The large sums wasted on the maintenance of the costly vke-Tegal court at Dublin Castle could be applied to far more profitable purposes, and it has been suggested that the money might ■ ployed in the maintenance of a Royal residence in Ireland, where either the King and Queen, or some of the members of their house might spend a portion of the year, thereby fostering trade and attracting rich visitors to the, island. NOT OFFICE FOR ROYALTY. It would not do, however, for any scion of the reigning house to accept the position of Governor-General of Ireland. It was repeatedly urged upon Queen Victoria that she should appoint some prince of her house to "reign" in her name at Dublin Castle, and to hold viceregal court there in her behalf. But she very sagaciously refused to countenance any such project, which was frowned down in the same way by King Edward when he succeeded to the crown. The sovereign, ac a constitutional ruler, has often been forced to give way to the wishes of Parliament, and to those of the Government, for the time being, and to sanction things repugnant, especially where Ireland was concerned. But neither Queen Victoria nor Edward VIL wae able to see any advantage to be derived from identifying the monarch or the Royal family more than absolutely neceseary with acts of policy towards Ireland that have sometimes been dictated more by a partisan spirit than by a sense of jnstkc or public interest. The popularity of the Royal family would have suffered grievously in Ireland and abroad had a prince of the blood been obliged as a partisan Viceroy to assume the odium of distasteful measures devised by liberal, Conservative or Unionist cabinets in Downing Street and" to identify himself with its views. NOT FOES OF KINGS. The-~popularity of the reigning family in Ireland has been surprisingly gTcat during the past hundred yeare or so, when one reflects that the people have been throughout that twie in an almost

continuous state of latent or open conflict with the British Government. Certain it is that ever since the days when George IV. held such festive court at Dublin (his good temper there being brought to the brimming over stage by the, to him, 60 welcome news of the death of his wife), the Irish people have always endeavoured to show that they had no cjuarrcl with the members of the reigning house, and that whatever bitterness there has been in Erin in connection British rule woe directed against the Government, rather than against the Throne. VISITED BY KING AND QUEEN. King George and Queen Mary, both prior and subsequent to their accession : to the crown, King Edward and Queen Alexandra and Queen Victoria have always been welcomed with the most unbounded cordiality, and enthusiasm whenever they visited Ireland, and throughout the years that the Duke of Connaught, now Governor-General of Canada, spent at Dv blin as Commander-! in-Chief of the Military Forces of the Emerald Isle, neither he nor yet his wife and daughters ever received an unfriendly took—nothing, indeed, tout kindnees from the Irish people. The Vice-royalty of Ireland is a very ancient office, which dates from the reign of Henry IL, the first of ite incumbents being Hugh de Lacy in 1172. It is identified in the eyes of the Irish people with every form of English muddle-headed officialdom, despotism and oppression for the last 700 years. Castle Tule 6tands' for everything that is bad in the eyes of the Irish people. iAnd then it must Ibe confessed that the vast majority of Viceroys of Ireland have been men of the most transparent mediocrity. Some of the Viceroys have been renowned for their drunken habits, in a country where conviviality is the rule rather than the exception.