HOME RULE

Otago Witness, Issue 2923, 23 March 1910, Page 31

HOME RULE

] MELBOURNE, Maroh 19. ! The correspondence arising out of the public criticism by Mr Snowball (head of the Orange Order) of a speech delivered by Lord Dudley (the Governor-General) at the opening of a Catholic college has been published. i Mr Snowball, in the course of his remarks, said that Lord Dudley had seen fit to say that he would never countenance anybody who was not in favour of giving the Irish separate rule, adding: " Lord Dudley might have thought that his position as Governor-General justified him saying such things." j Lord Dudley's private secretary wrote pointing out the difference between the remarks attributed to Lord Dudley and his actual remarks, which were: " He would take no part with any organisation or bod}*- which had not for its purpose the advancement and progress and prosperity of Ireland." i Mr Snowball, justifying his criticism, added: "It is> distinctly offensive to a large section of people for their GovernorGeneral publicly to throw his necessarily weighty official influence into the advocacy and encouragement of the agitation for Home Rule for Ireland." | The private secretary, in response to I this, wrote that Lord Dudlev did not propose to discuss the desirability either of Home Rule or the government of Ireland. He had expressed no opinion on the former, and the latter he had advocated when in a position to take part in political controversy ; but never then or now had he any sympathv with any change of government in Ireland which would involve or in the slightest degree lead to I separation from the Empire. I The correspondence closes with a letter from Mr Snowball expressing his pleasure,

as he now perceives Lord Dudley had no real sympathy -with tftose who advocated Ireland's .separation from Great Britain.