CORRESPONDENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3738, 24 September 1886, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE IRISH QUESTION. TO THE EDITOR. OF THE TIMARTJ HERALD. Sin,— l must decline to meet Kerryraan No. 2, as I am not a pugilist. My object m writing was to show, as far as possible, what effect Home Rulo would have, if granted, to Ireland. DOO3 she not owe her present sad etnto to the fnct that thero are too many m it ? Like No. 2 " Kerryman," Sir, " Englishman " tells us thatjlreland only wants lo bo made a colony, and enjoy the same privileges as we do out here, jjoes lie mean to comparo Ireland with the colonies, or a Government formed by the Land Lcaguo to our Government hero ? Lot him not, for one moment, think that such a proposal would be accepted by Parnell nnd his party. " Englishman " admits thut Ireland is almost m a etato of rebellion, and points us to Canada ono hundred years ngo as being even worse. Sir, had wo a man like Pitt as Prime Minister of England, and a James Wolf to take command of our army, I admit that they would do more for Ireland m six months than Gladstono with his Home Kule would do mas many years. lam not aware that Parnell has evor said what he would bo prepared to take as a final eottleraent of the Irish question. He might be willing to tako Gladstone's Bill as a first instalment. It has been Bnid that the restoration of Grattan's Parliament would satisfy him. Mr Parnell mean's Grattan's Parliament with a difference. It w»3 exclusively a Protestant Parliament: Parnell would speedily havo to abandon his leadership, if he advocated any j such proposal i but he means what Grattan embodied m his amendment to the Address, at the opening of the Irish Parliament m 17S2— that Ireland 13 a distinct Kingdom, with a separate Parliament, and that this Parliament alone has a right to make laws for her, m other words he insists that b, Parliament sitting m College Green shall tako the place which the Imperial Parliament occupies now. He does not tell U3 how that parliament is to be composed. He does not say whether it will have the check of a House of Lorda to review or influence ita measures. I am disposed to think ho would reject any such proposal. He does not say what body he would substitute for the present House of Peers, ' if any, and, m fact, he will fix no limit to Ireland's nationhood. So that if nationhood necessitates Republicanism, Republicaniim will be tbn goal of hid efforts. Indeed I question if anything less would satisfy his American sympathisers, who supply so abundantly the sinews of war. Now, sir, look m the first pliico at tho fearful risk of unsettling the present constitution of the United Kingdom for tho uncertainty of such an arrangement as this. Whatever may have been tho case m the past, Irish affairs receive their full share of attention now, and all that needs remedying can bo just as effectually remedied m a British as m an Irish Parliament. Ihoro is no just aspiration of any class iv tho country that will not be responded to as readily m Westminster as m Dublin. I know indeed that there are many things that havo to be taken to London now which should be disposed of m Ireland, and many offices which are occupied by Englishmen, and occasionally by Scotchmen, which could and should be filled by Irishmen ; but I insist that wo havo as fair a prospect of these things meeting with an adequate settlement from a United Parliament as from ono exclusively j Irish. Tho system of local government for all parts of tho Three Kingdoms, to which both parties aro pledged, will overtake most of tho grievances complained of, and iv time will remedy them. Ibis being so, is it not madness to encouraßO such a chango m legislation os would create a constant gonrco of irritation and evontually break up, m all probability, tho unity of the Kmpiro. Were wo beginning from the foundation to frame a constitution for a young society juat starting into existence, there might be some justification for any amount of experimenting, but I submit that after the lapse of 86 years, with all tho advance made m liberal legation m the interval and especially within recent years, to abandon the present constitution, would not only be perilous m tho extreme but tho height of folly. And tho aense of danger is immensely heightened when we take into consideration the antagonistic elements which divide the population as rogards religion. I would that it were otherwise, but the gulf which separates Roman Catholics from Protestants is nowhoro so wide as m that unhappy land. English Roman Catholics pride themselves m being identified with tho liberties and gieatness of the Empire, and should not Ireland be proud to be able to glory that she forms part and parcel of the land whero the Bible is loved and the Sabbath ia honored and God is feared — tho kingdom of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria whom I forvently pray God long to f pare to reign over us. I now, Sir, must close this correspondence as far as I nm concerned, ns I have neither the time nor inclination to carry it any further. I am, &c, Kedbtman. Kingsdown, 23rd Sept.