THE OLD QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1061, 25 February 1911, Page 3

THE OLD QUESTION.

Sir,—llsee.by yours,of-February,2l that "Non-Factipnist" lias again ..been -.trying to mislead-your readers ■ ori this momentous question. of Home llulo for. Ireland. With your nermission'l would give "NonFactionist" a -bit .of advice.--. He should tako the advice,. Irish" lawyer once rave: "Get your' facts right,' then you can "draw yoiir: inferences as*'you: plea;;." "Non-Factionist's" comparison of Ireland an'd'Ne'w Zealand is-grotesqae. Surely ~they ,in,;lrelanfl .can,E-3t _ Tr;chr,J!3C of Government 'without going tho length of Home Rule. Ho should know that,' umler the District Councils Ireland has a larger share of administration than we havo in New Zealand, and, it is' onen- to; question that Irish affairs aro badly managed' by "Enj;lislimenr' , '''l~'tMnk' "Noil-' Factionist" should ■ be' more accurate in his statements,. as there aro others who happen to "know a. little..of, Irish .history. Ha says that '"inst'before: the Union the National Debt of Ireland •amounted to only a couple of millions. I have seen lika 'statementsmade. in the public press in .Wellington before this. Now,, this is quits, contrary to..fact. J will quote Mr. Thomas D'Arcy- Jf'Gee, 8.C.1j., himself an Irish historian,-leaning to the side of "Non-Factionist." "He says ihat "The debt of Ireland. - which was. less than ' ,£4,060,000' in 1797, : increased;'. to •£11,000,000 " in' 179 < J,',..and had 'riscii to nearly JG 17,000,000 in 1601. ; Theso" were the years' immediately' preceding the Union. A few. more years at that rate would have found them bankrupt. Then as regards Ireland paying her way. What about the British money that has baen invested' .this last 25' years; \undor (he several Land Acts? Is she going to take over all these millioav advanced Irbm the English Exchequer? I suppose John Eedlnond would want a clean hill-fo as to start afresh, .and.even -then; I'-have my doubts if' she could nay'her" way, os

."Non-Vactionist" must know tliat \rillimit ,the fixation- that. is ■ paid by tlw Ulster Province Redmond's exchequer would not bo > very great. Again; "NonFactionist";is' dreaming. He says, 1 J'Now that Eome Kale is accomplished, or jieaily so. Ho must havo been asleep thesefew years back, as know that similar. resolutions have been carried in. Hia British House of Commons under j\l r. Aeciuit Ji's directions—Home Bule ami a lot of other rubbish as. well—and .nunc of them hare found their way upon the Statute Sook. I snpaose "Non-Fact iouist?' will.say the House of. Lords blocks the way. I suppose ha would endorse the remedy advocated by some,-to..send up as many Peers as would give the: Government n majority. . I should -ii k c to remind him again,. that'-Mr;; Tlio£. 'JD'Arcy jl'Geo in his history relates that-"Forty-two l'cers sis-'months, which was - a. ■'stretching :of the prerogative far .',beyoiiil: tho>'mbsi .arbitrary, of the Stuarts.or:Tudors;,'aiid 'forins one, not the loast-;iinaiiswerableV;'e,\ndeijces of the utter corrupt. cdiiMderatioivAvhieh secured the -support ' tho Irish"majority in both of Peers w ; as' VTong ,tn;"carry;'.tha ;;Aet of Union, surely i'f: Mr. A'squith; adopts this course (which I personally, do . not think he will), won't it: bo equally, wrong to repeal it by this "method. —I am, etc., .; . ' THOS.-'lf. JIILLIGAN. February 22, 1911.'