A RECANTATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 721, 21 January 1910, Page 5

A RECANTATION.

NO HOME RULE PLEDGE

LIBERALS AND IRISH.

■STATEMENT'BY.THE' CHIEF WHIP. By Telegraph—Press Association—CoDrrieht.

London, January 19. The Chief Liberal Whip, Mr. J. A. Pease, who is 'again standing for Saffron Waldon,, in an - address, to' the electors there made a further reference to Home Rule. (Mr. Pease had previously, pledged himself to- vote against Home/Rule. with an: independent: Executive.)

. No Independent Parliament. . Mr. Pease stated that the Prime Min-' ister,:.:MT. ;.Asquith, in his . Albert fiall speech, gave no pledge .that ,Home Rule would//be. givon .to Ireland.:. Whafc.'the. Primo .Minister said was' that. the .ban : which the Liberals had ; imposed upon themselves at' tho last election was removed, and. .that ; Liberals were.free, : if they so -desired, to .extend self-government to Ireland; but every one in the Government was pledged not to give the Irish; ;an independent Parliament/ . but', self. /government, consistent, with union.

■. [In - his . Albert;. Hall' speech, Mr. As- ' reported, as follows"lreland was still the "one great: failure of British statesmanship.- Speaking on behalf of his' colleagues, he would say that tho only solution was a system of self-govern-ment: in .. purely,;! Irish ;■ affairs,. with explicit .safeguards of the snpreme authority ' of' the : Imperial 'Parliament. 1 The .presont : Government, had been disabled in advance from proposing, this solution, but the hands of the Liberals in the new Parliament- would bo .perfectly free" This assurance .is thus commented on, by : the Sinn;.:Fein: : ,;organ:.;."By a : lawyer's quibble,' Sir. Asquith repeats > the attempt made by, the Liberals in 1891 to secured IrishVsupport;' whilo: locking up .Home Rule in- the tomb; but he will now 'find enough intelligence in Ireland to demand that ;if; : Home' Rule is his policy Home Eule-must , havo a; place on his own programme."] . ' . •.. . Irish Vote Needed in Boroughs, Not-In ■ Counties. ■ ' The Dublin: ■. correspondent of "The. Times": Bays'' that 'Mr. [-Pease's statements. have :created, consternation, "among ..tho Nationalists.'i The; election' is :bemg. in Ireland: on the question of Home Rule'.-;-It'tit:assumed that Mr. . Asquith,', after Saturday's 'pollings,.; expeoted;: a' majority independent,.;of tho Nationalists';j vote;' disown the Albert Hall undertaking. .' The "Times" comments: . '"Mr! ■ Pease. ; explains; but' only whon the 'borough are., nearly , / that Mr. .Asquith really.:.meant nothing partioular 'at the Albert Hall. ' The' county olections, ■ in which the Irish' vote is. insignificant, afo''.be^nhing, , .ahd;'the Liberals hope to. profitby repudiation'of ail intention upon which, tliey/too^H "A Dirty Trick.'! "The,'late.' SirvWilliam-jHarcburt's ex-; prbssioni ; 'A; .dirty/' trick,' • fittingly describes /tho manoeuvre. What is now meant is that a Homo .Eule' Bill, will onlybe introduced.; if' it (serves the . party pms. pose." :iV':J : - a'.U -,'V :: ::'>:'■■