Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1938. DISSOLUTION OF THE DAIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 195, 31 May 1938, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1938. DISSOLUTION OF THE DAIL.

The fact that the dissolution of the Dail Eireann startled Ireland is due to the suddenness of the announcement and not to the action itself. As the proclamation stated, the Government has had a precarious majority, consistently at the mercy of a group of combinations supporting sectional interests. The great source of difficulty lay in the fact that Mr de Valera had to bring the new Constitution into operation, opening up endless fields for controversy. The position was complicated by the fact that acceptance of the change by the electors was half-heart-ed, 666,000 voting for it at the plebiscite last July and 528,296 against, a majority of little better than five to four. The new Constitution provided for the revival of the Senate, which Mr de Valera abolished because it opposed his policy in regard to relationship with Britain, but the methods of election do not effect an improvement on the old body, from Mr de Valera s point of view. The real source of power, however, rests in the Dail, the popular and representative Assembly, corresponding to the House of Commons or the New Zealand House of Representatives. All Mr de Valera’s elaborations cannot conceal a typically British core in that Assembly. He commands only sixtynine votes out of the 138 members, the United Ireland Party, led by Mr Cosgrave, has forty-eight, and the Labour Party thirteen, while there are eight independents. Thus on divisions Mr de Valera has had to rely on the support or abstention of part of the Opposition. So far he has managed to avoid any notable concessions to the Labour Party, his former ally, which was the only section to improve its position in a reduced House. The support of Labour could be obtained only by major concessions, for their leaders were not likely to forget the snub they received after the elections in 1932. Incidentally there-are in the new Constitution clauses which they heartily dislike. Mr de Valera tried to carry on. Hoping for the best, he encountered the worst. Every fresh proposal increased his difficulties, and he could not expect to escape a major defeat. In the circumstances, he must risk the possible misfortunes of another appeal to the country.