On Wednesday the most important of the:amendments to the Address,
that condemning Home Rule, was moved by Mr. Malcolm, in a speech which amply proved his fitness for the task. He pointed out that if the Parliament Bill becomes law this session, the present mechanical majority will be able to pass a Home Rule Bill within the existence of the present Parliament, without any possibility of appeal to the nation. That being so, the Opposition held that the people had an indefeasible right to have communi- cated to them as early as possible the real nature of the Government scheme. Mr. Malcolm's amendment found an ideal seconder in Lord Hugh Cecil. We wish we had space to reprint his speech in full. Exceedingly pointed as well as true was his declaration that there are no Irish ques- tions of any importance which are exclusively Irish. Experience shows this, but we may add that it may be proved equally well from the fact that the finances of the two islands are so intermixed and fused that it is impossible to separate them. Every question of importance has its financial side, and in Ireland almost all finance is concerned with the Imperial Exchequer owing to the system of grants in aid. In truth you cannot cut the administrative and legislative painter without cutting the financial one. But that is exactly what the Nationalist Members are determined we shall not do. " You shall pay the piper and we shall call the tune" is their modest demand to the British people. Almost as pertinent as anything in Lord Hugh's speech was the demand he interjected in the course of Mr. Redmond's speech, asking whether the Irish leader was willing to submit Home Rule to a reference under a Referendum. To this Mr. Redmond could only make the very lame reply that the noble lord's question was not practical politics. Mr. Redmond is singularly mistaken. He will soon find that, hate and fear it as he may, the Poll of the People is very practical politics indeed.
Previous page
