NEW FREE STATE CONSTITUTION

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22082, 3 May 1937, Page 9

NEW FREE STATE CONSTITUTION

KING AND EMPIRE IGNORED “STILL MANY INJUSTICES” DRAFT FOR SUBMISSION TO ELECTORS (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) 1 (Received May 2, 9.45 p.m.) LONDON, May 1. “The President will have wide powers, but these will be for the safeguarding of the people’s rights,” declared Mr de Valera, broadcasting from Dublin on the draft of the new Irish' Free State Constitution. “The new constitution will be the free expression of the mind of the people of Ireland, and it can be changed only by them. “There are still many injustices to be removed, ’including the partition of our country, British occupation of our ports, and the exacting by Britain of money which we hold is not due; but these issues are now outside the constitution and can be discussed on their merits.” The second clause of the draft constitution declares that the national territory consists of the whole of Ireland, with islands and territorial seas. Pending reintegration of the .national territory, without prejudice to the right of Parliament, the Government will exercise jurisdiction over it. The draft ignores the British Coinmonwealth and does not mention the King, The electors’ ratification will be sought at the general election, probably late in June. “Sovereign Independent State” . The constitution is framed for all Ireland, with provision for temporarily restricting the laws to the present Irish Free State territory. It provides that the name Irish Free State shall be changed to Eire, n Gaelic word meaning Ireland. The draft describes the Free State as “a sovereign independent, democratic State with all, powers coming under God from the people.” T> 3 President, who replaces the Governor-General, will be elected for seven years by universal vote. He will take precedence over all others and will not sit in the Dail or SCTIdtS The President will appoint, a Prime Minister who will be known as the Taoiseach (an Irish word having the significance of Duce or Fuhrer). He will also summon and dissolve the Dail, sign all bills and have supreme control of the defence forces. All officers will hold their commissions from him. The right of appeal to the King is removed by the provision that the decision of the Supreme Court is final and conclusive. The free practice of religion is guaranteed, but divorce is absolutely excluded. [The present constitution of the Irish Free State, which came Into effect by Royal Proclamation on December 6, 1922, after enactment by the Free State and British Parliaments, declares that the Free State is a coequal member of the community of nations forming the British Commonwealth of Nations. It declares also that “all powers of Government, and all authority, legislative, executive, and judicial, in Ireland, are derived from the people of Ireland.” The Irish language is declared to be the national language, but English is equally recognised as an official language. The Legislature,- under the constitution, consists of the King, a Chamber of Deputies (Dail Eireann), and a Senate (Seanad Eireann). The GovernorGeneral of the Free State, as representative of the Crown, signifies the King’s assent to bills passed by the Legislature. The Governor-General is selected by the Executive Council of the Free State, and Is appointed by the King on the council’s advice. Citizenship of the Free State falls automatically to every person domiciled In the Free State at the date of the proclamation, who was born in Ireland, or either of whose parents were bom in Ireland, or who had been resident in the Free State for at least seven years,] VIEW OF NORTHERN IRELAND EXPECTED DISCUSSION WITH BRITAIN EFFECT ON ANGLO-IRISH TREATY (Received May 2, 10.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 1, The “Sunday Dispatch” says that Lord Craigavon (Prime Minister of Northern Ireland) is expected to call on the Prime Minister (Mr Stanley Baldwin) shortly to discuss Ulster’s attitude to Mr de Valera’s claim to draw up a constitution for the whole of Ireland. It is thought in Belfast that Britain cannot ignore Mr de Valera’s action. It is anticipated that British law officers will consider the aspect of the situation affecting the AngloIrish Treaty, [On December 6, 1921, a treaty was signed by Ireland and Britain, providing, inter alia, .(1) that Ireland should have the.same constitutional status as the self-governing Dominions; (2) that its position in relation to the Imperial Parliament should be that of the Dominion of Canada: (3) that until an arrangement should be made whereby the Free State undertook its own .coastal defence, the defence by sea of Great Britain and Ireland should be undertaken by the Imperial forces; the Free State to afford in time of "war or strained relations” with other powers, such harbour and other facilities as Britain might require; and the establishment of the Irish defence force not to exceed such proportion to the British military establishment as the population of Ireland bears to the population of Great Britain. By the treaty, Northern Ireland was given the option of continuing its separate existence, subject to thq award of a “Boundary Commission.” In 1025 the British Government and the two Irish Governments signed an agreement by which the partition of 1920 continues In force as determined by the Act of that year. The commission was discharged from the duty pf making an award.]