They had reported unanimously for giving to Ireland full fiscal powers.

"We tried hard," Redmond said, "to get the principle of their Report adopted in framing the Bill of 1912." Government insisted on adhering to the plan of "contract finance" which their own non-partisan committee of experts had explicitly condemned.
He quoted several passages from the weighty argument by which the Committee had justified its conclusions, especially those dealing with the contention that the power would be used to set up a tariff against British goods.
"Ireland is not a nation of fools.
"If in framing a new Constitution you go on the assumption that every power you confer will be abused, it would be far better to desist from your task altogether, and instead of increasing the powers of a people dead to all sense of responsibility and manifestly unfit for political freedom, you had better disestablish all existing forms of constitutional government and advocate the government of Ireland as a Crown Colony.

But none of us so distrust our people.
"Dr.O'Donnell has proposed a solution of the difficulty about imposing a tariff against England by means of a Conference between the two nations.

Other suggestions will be made.

Protection may be found for Ulster by giving to them disproportionate representation.