The Dominion. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1912. THE PROGRESS OF HOME RULE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1587, 2 November 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1912. THE PROGRESS OF HOME RULE.

Bit by bit we are learning through the cables of the progress of the Home Rule Bill through Committee in the House of Commons, but of the details of the debates wb are told very little indeed; The most interesting of the reported statements was that, contained m one of yesterday's messages: Sir Edward Carson said that ''he. did not fear frossly:unjust legislation by an Irish what he feared was unjust administration and connivance at foul play or refusing to" set the law in motion to protect minorities." Whether in very truth there is a probability that a. Nationalist Parliament would assist a Nationalist Government to direct their administration along partisan lines, is a matter of opinion. But we in New Zealand have very good reason to know the ease with, -which some Bofta •of Governments cap otter-ride the law or use it as a party weapon* and can use the Executive's functions to the disadvantage of political oppon* ents, RedjJOnb has offered to accept the express provision of safe-1 guards on the religious side; but too much can be inferred from this change of attitude, for a section of Irish Nationalism is still as bitter and as eager for tyranny ,fts ever it was. At the same time, since the' utmost reasonableness is necessary in the official Nationalists if they wish to keep Home Rule a possibility, we may be'sure that they will accept a Bill that will 'render wellnigh impossible anything like discriminative, legislation. For the present tho Bill is being discussed in a much calmer atmosphere than that which British politicians create when they visit Ulster, but the real problem is where it "was, and the real situation is unchanged, Ulster is merely waiting for the time for action. . . That the Government is not united in regarding tho Ulster menace as.

a bogy was made evident in September by Mr. CiniiiciuWs remarkable speeches in Dundeo on Federalism. The full text of his speeches are now to hand, together with a flood of comment. When he came to details, Mb. Ohukohih, was careful _ to explain that he was not indicating the Government's policy, but merely "bringing forward a great question towards which many political issues are moving," He made it plain, however, 'that the Government "advocated Home Rule because they believed and intended it to bo a forerunner and a preliminary to a genuine system of selfgovernment in all the four ooun* tries [England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.]" After sketching a federal system which-would give a Parliament to Yorkshire, another to Lancashire, to the Midlands, to London, and so on, the Minister proceeded to say that such a scheme did not seem extravagant to him, and he cited the federal systems of Canada, South Africa and Australia. But he erred in seeking a parallel here. Mr. BATjrotm pointed out last June that. wherever federation has been applied it has been applied as a jnetllod of introducing Community into diversity. In every case parts wer.o wolded into a whole--a whole was not split into parte. The Government's proposal is in a direction opposite to the federal movement in other parts of the.Empire. Since the case for a Lancashire or London Parliament involves the case for an Ulster Parliament, Me. Churchill's speech, was very unpalatable to the Radicals. They had an easy enough task in showing that the , plan of "duodecimo Home Rule" was ab-, surd; it wa-s.more difficult (and this' was their chibf anxietjy) to deny that the Dundee speech was ' the first shadow of Ulster's, success. ■ The first Minister to refer." to Mn. : Ohurohul's speech 'was Mr, Herbert SAjttJEL, the Postmaster-General, who said that the scheme was "a proposal for the consideration- of '■' the nation, with a view to Mure development." The Daily Chronicle said bluntly that the scheme. ■; was "not federalism, but folly,'' and that it provided an argument. for separate treatment 'for Northeast Ulster. This point was also emphasised by Other Liberal newspapers. The Daily News contended that 'the. justification for Home Rule' was to be found in "the ancient fact of nationality,'' where also it found the reason why the Empire should not be bound up in. a Federal system. It is not, in xpur view, the f act J that New Zealand is one nation and Australia another and .different (an.d : so for the .other Dominions)' which lies' across 'the path of the Federalists; but the fact that each of these Dominions is a fiscal entity.. The problem of . Imperial Federation is one of polities) not of ethnology. ■' The most interesting contribution to, the newspaper debate .provoked : by, tho_ .speech was the Spectator's.. The difficulties of government from' the centre, it suggests* should be attacked, not by a battery of new latures, but by the application of federation tb the existing local administrations: "The exi's'ting- local authorities should be authorised and encouraged tb form federations for specific purposes. A ' very useful step in this direction'was taken!' by Sir # HoRAOE-'PiitrNkEtT , whe i n'' : he or-, ganised the Irish Council of Agriculture, representing all the County Councils /in Ireland." As.to the . motivp behind the speech,' the Spec- . tatqr had no doubt that it was the desire to furnish'the Liberal,party with some plausible theory to justify . their surrender' to the.' Irish' Nationr alists. If bo, then of course it provided a thebry also for those' Liberals who want to surrender to Ulster. There has so far been little indication in the debates that the Liberal party is disunited on the Irish question, but the Bill has a long way to go yet, and any Liberal who wishes to rebel against the Government's compact with. Mr. Redmond will be sure to find that events will 1 make it easy enough for him to do so. The. opposition of the Unionists in Parliament is, -of course, futile: the Bill must pass' the House this year; but the sustained fira of criticism will hardly fail to tell with the country as time goes on, And there ap* pears to be no reason for doubting that, whatever happens, the Ulster covenanters will carry out their threat never to submit to a Dublin Parliament-