FINANCIAL RELATIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 88, 13 April 1912, Page 5

FINANCIAL RELATIONS.

REPRESENTATION AT WESTMINSTER. Regarding financial relations, the Prim© Minister said the Governmont had not adopted the Primrose Commiseiou scheme, but had benefited by it 3 suggestions. It 3 reports would be presented to Parliament. The estimates for the coming year would jjliow that the true Irish, revenue was about £10,840,000, and the expenditure on IrJ6h cervices about £1,235,000. Tho Irkh Parliament would, pay the cost of all except reserved eervicee. An annual grant of £500,000 would bo made hy the Imperial Parliament aaid gradually reduced, to £200,000. The Imperial Parliament would continue to tax the wholo Kingdom, and tho Irish Parliament would be empowered to reduce or discontinue for Ireland any Imperial tax, provided that the sum transferred from the Imperial Exchequer to Ireland was correspondingly reduced. The Irish Parliament would be empowered to impose taxes on ite own account, but would not be empowered to impose Customs dues, except on articles dutiable in the United Kingdom. It would not be empowered to augment the Imperial duty, or Custom, or the Imperial income tax, but would bo free in connection with stamp duties, although some of these would remain uniform throughout the Kingdom. A Joint Exchequer Board, of two members from each side, with a chairman, would be nominated by the Crown to adjust financial relations between. Great Britain and Ireland. The Irish representation at Westminster would be based on a member for every 100,000 of population. This would involve merging the majority of existing boroughs and counties, and hence the Universities would cease to be represented in the Imperial Parliament. (Ministerial cheers.) There were between tw«nty and thirty self-govern-ing Legislatures, and how under their allegiance to the Crown would one more break up the Empire? (Cheers.) A demand now emanated, not from outlying quarters, but from a country near their own shores; one bound by ties of kindred and associated in every form of social and industrial movement, one who Jiad borne, and was bearing, a noble share in upbuilding and holding together the greatest Empire in the world. A SCENE. MR. ASQUITH AND MR. BONAR LAW. , An angry scene marked the conclusion of th« Prime Minister's speech. He quoted Mr. Bonar Law's statement at Belfast that the Government had sold the Constitution, when he woa interrupted by Unionist cheere. At this there were angry shouts from the Ministerialists and Nationalists. Th© Prim© Minister challenged Mr. .Bonar Law to flay what the Government had sold themselves for. Mr. Bonai* Law : For votes ! Mr. Asquith : Is Mr. Bonar Law prepared to say that the Government sold their convictions? Mr. Bonav Law :• The Government haven't got any !