NOTHING BY COERCION."

Sun (Christchurch), Volume 1, Issue 7, 13 February 1914, Page 7

NOTHING BY COERCION."

ULSTER AND HOME RULE. SIR EDWARD CARSON'S STIRRING SPEECH. •'TRY \TO WIN HER" OVER." AFFECTION OR TAXES? 11y Gable. —Press Association. —Copyright. LONDON, February 12. Sir Edward Carson accused the Government of manoeuvring the position.. It should have immediately introduced an amending Bill embodying concrete proposals. He said that the exclusion of Ulster was not opposed to the fundamental principles of the Bill if it offered to put an end to Ulster's resistance, but Ulster Unionists did not take the responsibility of a Bill which would hand the Unionists of the South and West of Ireland to the tender naereies of their enemies. If exclusion were offered he would go tp Ulster immediately and take counsel with the people. He did not mean that Ulster should be made a pawn in any political game. "There are," he said, "only two ways to deal with Ulster. She cannot be. bought, and will not allow herself to be sold. You must force her or, by showing good government under Home Rule, it is possible'to try to ' win her over." (Liberal cheers.) , Then, facing Mr Redmond, Sir Edward Carson said, "You will gain nothing by coercion. One false step in relation to Ulster will render a settlement impossible. » I tell the Government and tell the Nationalists and my fellow-countrymen that they never have tried to win over Ulster, never tried to understand Ulster's position. If you want Ulster, go and take her, go and win her. But you don't want her affections. You want her taxes." Sir Edward Carson concluded, "It is not my fault if resistance is necessary j but on my conscience I shall not •refuse to join it." (Prolonged Unionist cheers.) MR REDMOND DEEPLY MOVED. • I 'IDEA OF CONFLICT HATEFUL."

Mr- Redmond said that there were passages in Sir Edward Carson's speech moved him, though he protested the gross imputation that the" isfationalists wanted taxes. The idea of conflict was hateful. They did not want , the new system to start with the terrible handicap of conflict. He accepted the new situation arising from the Premier taking the initiative in making suggestions, though personally he thought the responsibility for. the initiative might. - fairly be left to the Opposition. The ... : | that, thp, problem c.ould be.solved ,by excluding Antrim, !DQwn, , Armagh, and Derry was utterly ridiculous and impossible. A NEW SITUATION. CO-OPERATION SUGGESTED. Mr Lloyd George said, thaty Sir Ed-; ward CamMa ferjJßjieebli 'had entranced the House;n:When h,e; appealed to the Nationalists r l;td <• win d Ulster, he sug- j gestedHlie prospecjt :of .co-operation in . the Government of Ireland and created an absolutely- new situation, constituting an element which the Government must-take into account. The Government believed that the safeguards made it impossible for Ulster to suffer, but Ulster did not think so. Thes Go-. j vernment was prepared .to go to any / - limits consistent with the principles of the Bill to allay, legitimate fears, but it could not and would not' betray the majority of Irishmen, who ; trusted the Government. If, after everything had been" done to allay. Ulster 's legitimate fears, the Government ; quailed before threats of violence it would .violate its trust. The Government . submitted the proposals upon its own responsibility, but the responsibility of acceptance or rejection would be with the Opposition. PEACE POSSIBILITIES. The Rt. Hon. A. Birrell paid a tribute to the force and eloquence of Sir Edward Carson's speech. Sir Edward had proved that if he hated Home -Rule he his country. "We are approaching peace, " said Mr Birrell, , " when Sir Edward Carson admits that *' the exclusion of Ulster would get rid of

civil war." A LABOUR VIEW. .Mr J. R; Cly.nes said that when every argument had failed the Opposition had fallen back on armed resistance to the law. What would be the position of .the industrial, inhabitants of the great towns if the men were drilled to 'resist the Crown and ■0 the Government because a Right 'to Work Bill was denied. Lord Hugh' Cecil urged a referendum on Home Rule. ELECTION OR EXCLUSION. B\ iOODSHED MAY BE INEVITABLE 1 Cr Bonar Law, in concluding the' flql ate, pressed th'c Government for an imi ediate specific offer. He urged explui on or a general election, bait was prej tred to accept a. referendum if'the Gov rnment preferred l it. It was no good to make arf offer of Home 'Rule with; \ Home Rule. If the Government cooti ued its present policy, bloodshed was j evitable. , ■ Sir T \ J. iGory abstained from voting. * . There wras no crdss-voting. Twelve

1 Liberals were absent in consequence of illness. ; THE HOUSE OP LORDS. FEDERALISM THE SOLUTION. Lord Loreburn .declared .that the King's reference to the gravity of the situation was '.a* courageous 1 and honourable departure. He considered that a dissolution did not offer a solution but merely postponed the question. , The Bill' was good, , but a settlement, by consent was better. He believed that federalism would prove the solution of the difficulty. Lord Lansdowiie said that Mr Asquith'& and Lord Morley's declaration of. policy was too vague and unsub- ( stantial. Plans must be definitely ■ formulated and submitted to thef people. The debate was adjourned. ; EXCLUSION OF ULSTER. | WHAT Jr WOULD MEAN. (Received February 13, 8.45 a.m.) ' LONDON, February 12. , The "Daily Chronicle." says there,is . a widespread impression amongst the [ Liberal members of the House of Comr mons that there was far too much , Ministerial talk about. Ulster/s ..exclur sion, and keen disappointment is • ex- , pressed that there was no word of pro- . test against. the Opposition members ' ( incendiary speeches. " There can be no question," the paper adds, "that , : the exclusion of Ulster —which would '. amount to; the withdrawing of the Bill—rif the Government did so, would L . i ' 1 not only. imperil the party, but the sovereignty of Parliament. A THE FINAL PEACE. , v (Received February 13, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, February 12. ; The "Westminster Gazette" states: 1 "Sir Edward Carson's more generous •' tone is an implication that they are all Irishmen, and Mr Redmond's response reminds us that the final peace is to be made between Irishmen at T-Westminster." The paper suggests thai; the Government should make special conditions for Ulster; a provisional Arrangement ' until Home Rule all round is com pleted. This is the logical outcome of

the Government's, and the Unionists' declarations.