LORD ROSEBERY AND HOME RULE

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 30

LORD ROSEBERY AND HOME RULE

(From Our Otvx Correspoxdext.) LONDON. February 13. Lord Rosebery made another great speech la-it night, tli' 1 locality being Liverpool. His audience paid from 3gs to sgs a head for udmis-ion ' The chief features in his speech weie (]) the emphatic declaration that Home Rule for It eland had been rendered impossible by Iri-h li'i-loyalty and outspoken aspirations" that Britain might be worsted by her foe-, in this wm ; (2) unsparing ridicule of Hir Henrj Campbell-Bdiinernian and the present method- of tho <o called "Liberal paity." Hi-, attitude under the former head was stated in tho following words: — "I am not, at any tune, or under any circumstances prepared to grant an independent Parliament in Dublin. Mr Redmond declared that on armed insurrection in Ireland was only a matter of opportunity. Such a statement a-v that mibt make one pause before granting an independent Parliament in. Dublin. No b«ine peison, least of all that 6ano comn unity of persons which is known as 'the predominant partneis,' would ever consent to baud over tho destinies of Ireland, at the very heart of the Empire, to a Pailiamcnt which should be guided anJ controlled and composed of tho-e who ha\e expressed their earnest wish that wo un->ht be overthrown on the field of battle J-'ngland was the heart of the Empire, and wo could not afford to have close to oui shore a hostile Power which might turn the balance as between the euc co's and the defeat of the arms of this country. If Ireland were loyal I would gladly give her the privileges of the selfgovorning colonies but what we have to remember is that she is at the heart a widely-scattered Enipne, and we cannot dare, we cannot afford, that at our very i \ itals there should be a hostile Parliament | which, for example, in the cape of the pre- j sent war might have turned the balance between success and defeat. My view is not I entirely negative. I trußt that as county government develops in Ireland, a3 it shows the administrative qualities of the people, it may be possible to enlarge that sphere, to work upwards to somo superrtruc ture 1 hope and believe much, devolution must take .

place in a national direction. . . . 1 hope most sincerely my dream may be realised of some scheme of Imperial federation . . . but when I am asked for an independent Parliament I tell you plainly i that it i-s not upon my slate."