THE PROGRAMME OF THE HOME RULE PARTY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 152, 31 March 1876, Page 15

THE PROGRAMME OF THE HOME RULE PARTY.

1-+ It has, we undei stand, been left to Mr. Butt, in pursuance of the v islies of the Farmers' Clubs, to prepare a Land Bill, which will be l.iid on the table of the House on one of the earliest, days of the **ession ; and we can confidently add that the whol> party are ready cordially and energetically to support a measure which, will be based upon the great primiples of Fixity of Tenure and Fair Kents. At the same time Mr. Butt will ask leave to introduce a Bill to make better provision for University Education in the country. Tho Home Rule party are perfectly agreed upon the great principles upon nhich alone this question can be satisfactorily settled. The question of Home Rule for Ireland will be submitted to the House of Commons in a distinct resolution, which will be introduced immediately after the Easier recess. There is a variety of minor, although still most important, questions upon which the action of the Home Rule party has been, with equal clearness and unanimity, arranged. It is obvious that upon these questions their action must be greatly controlled by the progress of Parliamentary events. It will in all probability not differ very widely from the line of procedure indicated in Mr. Butt's address to his constituents at Limerick. The subject of the anomalou* condition of our town franchise will be pressed on the attention of Parliament upon the earliest available clay. The various remedial measures for the improvement of our fisheries, the reclamation of waste lands, the restoration of their ancient privileges to our Corporations, and the measure giving the control of our country taxation to representative bodies, instead of the Grand Juries nominated by the Sheriff, will be again brought before Parliament. We believe we may add to this that the attention of the House of Commons will be distinctly called to the severity and extent of the coercion under which Ireland is still suffering, and to the promise of the Chief Secretaiy, given during the coercion debates, that by the removal of the proclamations from successive districts in Ireland the provisions of the Coercion Code should gradually become a dead letter. It is probable that when the question of finance or of local taxation comes before the House, a vigorous effort will be made to expo-e in a formal debate the inequality and injustice of the taxation to which Ireland is subject. When we add to all this that every opportunity will be taken of pressing upon Parliament and the Government the necessity of a concession to the earnest wishes of the Irish people upon the subject of Amnesty, we think we may say that the Home Rule Conference has found sufficient occupation for the energies of its members. — 'Dublin Freeman.'