The difficulties with which the Cabinet are confronted in dealing
with finance in their Home Rule Bill has been clearly illustrated by Mr. 3. M. Robertson, M.P., the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade. Speaking at a meeting of the Irish Parliamentary Branch of the United Irish League in Drury Lane on Friday week, he observed that the real difficulty of late had been the very definite demand put forward by a number of Home Rulers in Ireland to the effect that she should have complete, absolute, and unchecked fiscal autonomy. This, said Mr. Robertson, meant a claim for separation: it would mean disintegration of the United Kingdom, and put an end to all talk of Federal Home Rule :—
" The Bill giving Home Rule to Ireland must be so drawn up as to permit of the further development of institutions in Britain to fit into a Federal scheme to be completed later. Whatever the fiscal system was to be, it mast be one for the three kingdoms, and a Constitution was wanted which would make it impossible for Ireland and England to fight. If Ireland were to be put on the footing of Canada and Australia, the United Kingdom would certainly be disintegrated, if not the Empire."
That is our case, and that is why there must be no separate Parliament for Ireland with a separate Executive responsible to it.
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