DISCUSSION ON THE HOME RULE BILL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 20, 3 March 1893, Page 29

DISCUSSION ON THE HOME RULE BILL.

(Auckland Star, February 17.) The membere of the Auckland Branch of the Irish National Federation held their ordioary meeting yesterday evening. The subject under discussion was the Irish Home Bale Bill, or rather those clauses of it which have been communicated to the colonies by cable. There was a limited attendanot at the meeting, but all present were unanimously enthusiastic in their approval of the measure. The chairman, Mr J. A. Tole, in introducing the subject for discussion said that he was present there at considerable inconvenience to himself, bat he should not have liked to miss the opportunity of exchanging congratulations with his fellow members of the Irish Nattonal Federation Society now that Home Bule was within measures ble distance of being obtained for Ireland. Mr Gladstone's proposed measure was, as far as could be judged from the cable vereion of it, most admirable, and most calculated, in the speaker's opinion, to restore peace and order where for many years past strife and confusion had prevailed. He was heartily in sympathy with it. Tht Bill appeared to him to be based on colonial lines, as far aB regarded those clauses which dealt with tbe appointment of the Assembly and Legislative Council. In its general constitution, the Bill reminded him of Sir George Grey's pamphlet on " Tho Irish Land Question," published in 1869. In fact, in bis opinion, that pamphlet fore-shadowed the Bill. Mr Tole then enumerated the several points in which the measure especially commended itself to him. It was so constructed as to bring about no violent wrench in the present arrangements between England and Ireland— a most necessary provision. It was essentially a federal measure, leaving to Ireland the control of her local affairs and giving to Irishmen an opportunity of convincing tbe world of their power to govern themselves. The clause that proposed that judges should be appointed during the next six years under the present system, the speaker designated a very wise precaution, and the Bill ia its entirety, he said, for ever did away with tbe bogie of separation. The leaving of the land question for three years was one of the best-considered clauses of the Bill. Tbe statement that the measure had created no entbasiasm was quie contradicted by the further account of the hearty manner in wbich it was received, and the excitement which followed Mr Gladstone's speech. As to the criticisms of the Press, they had been invariablyjfavourable where the organs expressing them were unbiassed. Mr Tole concluded his speech by moving the adoption of the following resolution by the meeting :—": — " That this branch of the Irish National Federation desires to place on record their approval of the Home Bule Bill introduced by the Bight Hon. W. B. Gladstone, and hopes that the principle of self-government for Ireland, as proposed by tbat measure, will receive the assent of Parliament and commend itself to the acceptance of all sections of the Irish people.''

Mr Speight, in seconding the resolution, said it gave him great gratification to notice that since the publication of tbe Bill the enemy had become dumb. He had spoken to many opponents of Home Bule, and they had all said that Gladstone's measure was one they could conscientiously accept. For hia part, he was sure that the Bill must prove successful. It was a Liberal measure, And nothing tbat the Liberals had ever put their band to had they failed to carry out to a happy isaae. The measure was a consummate piece of statesmanship. It was most wisely constructed. It placed a responsibility on the lives and consciences of the Irish people, and deserved their most generous acceptance. The first Bill might have been open to objections, but from the present measure anything that might offend had been carefully removed. Bpoaking of tbe property qualification proposed, Mr Speight said tbat it was a necessary measure, and one of the wisest arrangements that could be made for the preservation of order and the representation in the Irish Parliament of the classes who were most interested in the welfare of the country. The speaker objected to tbe Press comments on the measure. He said that the Press was all very well iv giving facts, bat that the public was itself able to draw juat conclusions from these facts. The deferring if the land question for three years was a masterly stroke, and he (Mr Bneight) believed Mr C .dstoae had done it in order that the Irish peop c might h i\e i.n opportunity of working out their own salvation. He considered that it was a perfectly providential step on tbe part of the great statesman, for, at the present moment, there was not a consensus of opinion what the land policy ehould be. After referring to

tbe financial clauses in the Bill, Mr Speight concluded by expressing his firm conviction that if Ireland was ever to be a great nation, it would only be in conjunction with Great Britain. Several other speakers commented on the Bill, and discussed some of the clauses. Mr W. Tole alluded to the fact that the Bill made no reference to the national debt of Ireland. He quoted figures to show how much of that harden had bean contracted in raising rebellion ox in bribes between 1782 and 1798. Mr Millar thought that the charge of L 2,500,000 on Ireland «a cabled was a mistake. la the original Bill it was only £1,500,000, and he saw no reason why it should have been increased. Messrs Garlick, Julian, and Nevion also gave their views. Just as the meeting was about to close the chairman intimated that a g«ntleman ia the room had offered to defray the expense of a cable to Mr Gladstone conveying the hearty gratitude of the meeting and its approval of bis Bill. The annoaaceme at was received with cheers and a vote of thinks was passsd to the donor for his generosity.