HOME RULE QUESTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13860, 25 March 1907, Page 5

HOME RULE QUESTION

MR W. O'I)RIR>TS POSITION. A LETTER TO HIS COXSTITUEXTS. Press Asaocialion-By Telegraph-Copyright. LONDON, March 23. (Received March 24, at 4.51 p.m.) Mr William O'Brien, in a letter to his constituents, declares that he will not participate in the present session nf Parliament. The Iristi party had now accepted the devolution proposals and the University Hill, which, hub for their opposition, they might have, had in 1904, his own position having been triumphantly vindicated, and ho and his libellers were now occupying- common ground, lie did not desire to engage in controversy before the English Parliament which would enable his libellers ,(<i attribute t<) hint any untoward consequence of their own lollies. March 22. Mr J. Devlin, M.1 , ., the Irish delegate who visited Australasia, was interviewed on his arrival at Qiie.ens'own. He said that the delegates were magnificently received by all classes and creeds in Australia and New Zealand. Ko long as the people at Hume were.. united, and discountenanced faction, they might, rely on the generosity of Australasians until self-government was

A scheme of devolution was put forward by Ilia Irish Heforni Association in 1904. 11. was worked out. in consultation with Sir Antony MaeOminell, ii Homo Ruler and a Roman Catholic, who was appointed Undersecretary for Ireland in 1902 by ihe late Unionist. Government. In 1906' much diecnssimi took place regarding- bis appointment, and ar, to how far the Unionist (!c~ vomment was roininilkd to his devolution proposals. Some lime ago Mr W. O'Hrien said: ''To Ihe eternal credit of Mr Wyndham, Mi , Balfour, ami Lord Lansdowne. they sought nut Sir Antony MacTJonnell. and solicited him lo come over to Ireland to inaugurate the new policr, which, if it had got fair play, would hnvv been fraught with innumerable -blessings, both for Ireland and lor England."

There seems (o be a decided tendency on tho part of some Unionists to accept devolution in some modified Sorin. This is Ihe attitude now taken up by the Spectator, and ir has caused much uneasiness to tho more thorough-going TJnionisie. The Saturday Review savs: "The Unionist party is not yet wholly reunited on the question of tariff reform. If if is Koing to be divided on the question of Home Rnlo for Ireland, theii indeed the game is up, and an entire regrouping of paitics will ho necessary. It is [or {he Conservative leaders to slay the plague in time; and by taking up a firm and unequivocal attitude lo savo Ihe Loyalists of Ireland from being sacrificed to separation under the counterfeit label of Devolution." Tim University Bill referred to in the cables will deal with tho whole question of University education in Ireland. This subject has been considered by two Royal Commissions recently. The great difficulty is to satisfy the requirements of Ilio Roman Catholic Bishops. They have stated in the meet explicit manner that, they would bo prepared to accept any ono of three solutions—(l) a university for Koman G'ntholies; (2) a college in tho University of Dublin; (3) a new college in the Royal University. The first Royal Commission did not find in favour of any of these solutions; but its' suggestion for a reconstruction of tho Royal University in tho form of a Federal University with constituent colleges ohowod a strong preference ,for the third. The. second course is that to which the second commission comes nearest to approving.