THE BIRTH OF HOME RULE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5557, 27 July 1886, Page 2

THE BIRTH OF HOME RULE.

[Pall Mall Gazette]. It is now 1G years since "Home Rule " was first promulgated at a meeting of prominent Irishmen held in Dublin, May 19, 1870, when the following resolution was unanimously adopted: — "That it is the opinion of this meeting that the true remedy for the evils of Ireland is the establishment of an Irish Parliament with full control over her domestic affairs." This was the birth of the Irish Home Rule movement, and it is remarkable to find that this meeting was composed of a large majority of "Protestants." There were about 60 gentlemen assembled, and not more than 20 Roman Catholics among them. It will surprise people now to find the following representative names in the list of those present at this meeting : — Sir John Barrington, D.L., Protestant Conservative. E. H. Kinahan, ex-High Sheriff, Conservative. J. V. Mackey, Orangeman. Sir William Wilde, Prot. Con. Rev. Joseph Galbraith, Trinity College, Protestant Conservative. R. W. Boyle, banker, College Green, Conservative. W. W. Harris, LL.D., ex-Sheriff co. Armagh, Protestant Conservative. Major Knox (Irish Times), Prot. Con. Dr Maunsell (Evening Mail), Tory. The Yen. Archdeacon Gould, D.D., Protestant Conservative. William Shaw, M.P. (Monster Bank), Protestant. flapt. E. R. King-Harman, Prot. Con. Hon. L. H. King-Harman, Prot. Con. George F. f'.haw. F.T.C.D., Prot. Con. Alfred Webb, "Friend." H. H. Ptewarfc, M.D., Prot. Con. W. L. Srson, J.P., Orangeman. Ther.o gentlemen, and those who acted with tht-oi, seated : "We wish -to be frank and clear ; we will have no part in

disloyal plans ; we will have no separation from England. But we feel that the scheme of one Parliament for all purposes, Imperial and local, has been a failure, that the attempt to force consolidation on the Irish; popple, to destroy their national individuality, has been simply disastrous. However attractive in theory for the Imperial statesman that project has utterly broken down in fact and reality. It has cost us i perpetual insecurity, recurrent insurrection. It may Buit English politicians *to cling to the experiment still, and pursue it through another fifty yearsi always' ■* iusfc going to succeed this time,' but forVus Irish Protestants whose lot is cast in this country; and whose all in the world Mb'- within these seas, it is time to think -whether we cannot take into our own hands the solution of +he problem. We want peace, we want security, we want loyalty to the Throne, we want connection with England, but be will no longer have our domestic affairs committed to a London Parliament. The aspiration for national autonomy is one which has sound reason and justice as well as historical right behind it."