Let us now examine Ireland’s claim for fiscal autonomy.
FOOTNOTES:
[73] See p. 140.
[74] The Bill set up a Council of eighty-two elected and twenty-four nominated members, with the Under-Secretary as an ex-officio member. So far it resembled the abortive Transvaal Constitution of 1905 (see p. 130), but the Irish Council was only to be given control of certain specified Departments, and was financed by a fixed Imperial grant. It was to have no power of legislation or taxation, and was under the complete control of the Lord-Lieutenant.
[75] This arrangement, which is peculiar to the Canadian Federation, is regarded by some authorities as a somewhat serious infraction of the Federal principle, since it seems to imply executive control of the Province by the central Government. The Governors of the States in the Australian Federation are appointed by the Home Government.
[76] The Judicial Committee has ruled “that the relation between the Crown and the Provinces is the same as that between the Crown and Dominion in respect of such powers, executive and legislative, as are vested in them respectively.” (Maritime Bank of Canada v. Receiver-General of New Brunswick, 1892).
[77] They are governed by Executive Committees, the members of which need not be members of the Councils.
[78] In writing upon this subject, I am indebted to an able paper by Mr. Basil Williams, which is to be found in “Home Rule Problems.”
[79] “Life of Parnell,” R. Barry O’Brien, pp. 149 and 139-141.
[80] E.g., in 1893, on Clause I. of the Home Rule Bill (Hansard, p. 490): “The Irish minority were willing to be treated on the footing of a Colony, but they protested against a supremacy which would enable the honourable gentleman who formed the Irish Government to appeal to the Imperial Parliament for the assistance of the Army and Navy to compel the Irish minority to obey their behests.”
[81] Cd. 5741, 1911. Some of the subjects discussed were Commercial Relations and Shipping, Navigation Law, Labour Exchanges, Uniformity in Copyright, etc., Emigration, Naturalization, Compensation for Accidents, etc.
[82] I am summarizing facts fully narrated in Chapters XI. and XII.