al Security, objection is taken to what is
called an 'Independent' Parliament.

"It is supposed that what is called Dominion Home Rule implies an
'Independent' Parliament. This is a complete delusion. There is only one
Sovereign and Independent Parliament in the Empire--the Imperial
Parliament; its supremacy is indefeasible and inalienable. Every other
Parliament in the Empire is subordinate, and an Irish Parliament must be
subordinate.

"The Imperial Parliament has created many Parliaments and given to them
power to deal in general as they wish with local affairs, but it never
parted with its own overriding authority--it has no power to do so--and
in several of the colonies it has exercised that overriding authority
from time to time.

"Gladstone spoke of the Irish Parliament which he proposed to set up as
'practically independent in the exercise of its statutory functions.'
But the overriding authority of the Imperial Parliament would always be
there in the background to arrest injustice or oppression, just as it is
in regard to every Dominion Parliament in the Empire to-day.

"That position was specifically laid down and accepted by Parnell in
1886.

"Lord Midleton demands that the rights and authority of the Crown shall
be preserved and safeguarded. There is no difference whatever between us
on this, and no difficulty can arise upon it.

"As to the control of Army and Navy, no one suggests any interference
with the Imperial authority over the Army and the Navy. I include in
that such naval control of harbours as is necessary for security.

"Captain Gwynn has proposed that Ireland should have power to raise a
force for home defence. In other words, to pass a Territorial Act for
Ireland. My policy about the Volunteers is known: I proposed at the
beginning of the war that the Government should utilize the existing
Volunteer forces; and had this proposal been acted on in 1914 there
would have been no rebellion in 1916. If I understand Captain Gwynn, he
did not suggest that Irish Territorials should be under an Irish War
Office and an Irish Minister for War, but that in his opinion a system
of Irish Territorials was desirable, and inasmuch as the English
Territorial Acts are not suitable to us, the Irish Parliament should be
given the power to raise under Imperial authority a force for itself and
on its own lines.

"If this is his view, I agree with it. But this is a matter on which no
one would think of breaki