Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1889. FINALLY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 6926, 8 October 1889, Page 2

Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1889. FINALLY.

Me Chamberlain, who now assumes the role of Lord Salisbury's mouthpiece, has declared, iv a speech at Newcastle, that he "had received satisfactory assurances that Lord Salisbury would deal finally with the Irish question next session." It was time somebody gave such an assurance after Lord Randolph Churchill's recent speech condemning the disgraceful administration of the law in Ireland. Lord "Randolph showed that the government of the country was not only a disgrace, but a danger, and censured Mr Balfour in the severest terms for the imprisonment of members of Parliament. Lord Salisbury talked about 20 years of coercion. His courage seems to have failed him. He Imows that it is impossible to continue the present and brutal rule of the country beyond the next general election, and that it is necessary to do something to satisfy public opinion in England. What Lord Salisbury means by finally dealing with the Irish question I can be easily guessed. He intends proposing a system of county government similar to that which has just come into force in England. It is not likely he will ever go the length of Mr Chamberlain's plan of a provincial government for each of the four provinces. Now such a scheme may be forced through tho House of Commons in the face of the opposition of Mr Parnell and hi - friends who will j accept nothing less than Home Kule. but county government would be a sham, wliile Balfourism continued to rule the country from Dublin Castle. How would we iv New Zealand like to be governed by a Downing Street clique at Wellington, and told that wo should have to be satisfied with the County Councils ? That would not be the final settlement of the difficulty. If County Councils were set up in Ireland, they would pass into the hands of the Nationalists and at once be made the instruments of more successful agitation. It is useless to attempt to stop short of tho remedial measures proposed by Mr Gladstone. As we have have shown his scheme took guarantees for the supremacy of the Imperial Parliament, leaving Ireland to manage its own internal affairs, just as this colony manages its affairs though subject io the crown in all Imperial matters. It is tho wish of all who are in favour of Imperial unity to see a final settlement effected of the long standing feud between England and Ireland. This settlement is simply impossible until British statesmen come to recognise in some adequate form the national aspirations of the people. It is a sign of the change which is fast coming over the mind of tho English people,that those most opposed to doing anything, save to use the common instruments of oppression, are expressing an intention of proposing legislation for the " final " settlement of the question.