In view of recent developments, it is worth while briefly
to recapitulate the official Liberal declarations as to Home-rule. On December 10th in the Albert Hall Mr. Asquith stated that the Liberal policy, "while explicitly safeguarding the supreme and indefeasible authority of the Imperial Parliament, would set up in Ireland a system of full self-government in regard to purely Irish affairs." In the Parliament of 1906 the Government had been disabled in advance from proposing such a solution of Irish discontent, but in the next House of Commons their hand would be "entirely free." This assurance was accepted by the Irish Parliamentary leaders, and there the matter rested until the elections were in full swing, when Mr. J. A. Pease, the Chief
Liberal Whip, is reported to have declared on Monday in reply to a questioner: " There was no pledge given at the Albert Hall that Home-rule will be given to Ireland: What was said was that the ban that was placed by the Liberal Party on itself at the last , General Election was removed, so that the Liberals are free, if they so desire, to extend self-government to Ireland." Mr. Pease has since explained that the gist of his answer was that there would be no independent Parliament, but that he was " in favour of self- government being given to the Irish people to enable them to manage their own affairs "; and Mr. Asquith on Wednesday and Thursday nights declined to answer any questions as to the details of a measure of Home-rule " until it comes to the time for such a measure to be introduced." He added that he was in favour of no measure of Home-rule which would not reserve the complete supremacy of the Imperial Government.
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