CIiUTIIA NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 17

CIiUTIIA NOTES.

August 17.—An interesting debate on Home Rule took place at the meeting of the local Parliamentary Union held on the 11th inst. In introducing a motion approving of Mr Gladstone's bill, the colonial treasurer (Mr S. Fraser), after commenting on the results of the last election, and pointing out how coercion had failed, said that it was admitted that the Government of Ireland by England had been unsatisfactory, and it was not; shown that Ireland was incapable of governing herself. One of the reasons why the English administration was so distasteful to Ireland was that the laws came to them in a foreign garb, as those of a conquering to a conquered nation. He believed Mr Gladstone's scheme to be a solution of the difficulty and would set the question at rest onco and for ever.—Mr Comerford (Buller), although he admitted that Ireland had not been properly governed since 1801, opposed the motion, as he feared the scheme would bo the practical dismemberment of the Empire. It was proposed to spend 50 millions of English money to buy out the Irish landlords on a security that no business man would accept. He thought that while Ireland was justly entitled to govern her own local affairs, the lrishrepresentatives should still be retained in the English parliament. He could not consent to the taxation of England for

the sake of Ireland. — Messrs R. Grigor (Invercargill, and Platt (Ashley), having spoken against the motion, and Messrs Cook (minister of justice), Weir, (Waikouaiti), and Calvert (Premier), for it, Mr T. Mackenzie moved as an amendment " That this House is of opinion that Mr Gladstone's scheme does not go far enough, but that while Ireland should get Home Rule, the Irish representatives should be retained at Westminister until the establishment of an Imperial Federal Council." — At this stage the debate was adjourned till tho following week.