THE IRISH QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3036, 24 March 1917, Page 10

THE IRISH QUESTION

! ' } ' ANOTHER AITEMPT AT A \ ■ SETTLEMENT t ;■- f ' ' DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT [ \ (Rec. March 24, 0.10 a.m ) [ London, March 22. I Mr. Bonar Law, iu the House of | Commons,', said that: thd Government j had decided to make anothei attempt I to solve the Irish question Mi. Asj quith had promised to co-opetatc ( On the second reading ot the Con- | solidated Fund Bill, tho piormsod op. [' portumty for an, Irish debato was ; given; i Sir H.'J: Dalziel moved that it was of supremo importance that tho Govr ernmsnt should mako an effoit to i ; reach a settlement. He said tho setj ' tlement was necessaiy in the mteiests t of national unity, and to put ouisohct> [ right with our Allies Inaction only strengthened tho reactionaries m Ire- | Is ud. All parties must make great [ 'Sacrifices, othorwise a solution would | be impossible. Tho suggestion that j v there- should be Dominion rept'esentar tives upon tho Commission deserved a I , tnal. i ' Mr. J. "W. Hills, seconding tho raol tion, said the Irish difteieuco was a i source of weakness m the wai, and would paralyse us aftei the wai f. Mr. Ronald MncNeiU (U ) said that [ the Dominion statesmen weio already f deeply committed to Homo Rule b\ I their Parliamentary, lesolutions, and t could not approach' the problem imI partially. I Mr. _ MacNeill went on to say that j Mr Dillon's untrue suggestion that tho \ • Ulstennen were negotiating with Gei- [ >' man agents was a most scnous obstacle | a settlement, and would only cieato discontent and distrust. He was conI , vinced that tho oversea representatives } i would not touch the Irish question with j a barge polo Ulstei was not tho obstaclo to a settlement Alieatli they j had made laige concessipns The Na- !, , tionalists had mado none I Sir Hamai Gieemvood (L) said it | would be an acknowledgment of m- > capacity to ask the Dominion roiwsen- ( tatives to shouldei the lesponsibility i'

, Mr. Bonar Law's ;Speeoh. : f;,.": -~y. .Mr. Bonar..Law,said: he welcomed. j'. 1 ;: ./-•tha'tone of the debate. , : He;repudiated r/tv;j.vtlie idea that he desired-a general elee-ft-;ky%i)on.:\ There 'was nothing ho detested i:|;v;>;ino?e. ; was not 'thinking; ,of the k'l'i fc'Pfrty. advantage, 6r ; the■ chahoe of winE; ; 'ftfc?^g;:an.'election, but '.he realised .that fc : •;£ Ht"was■'. the.-.'whoio nation's desiro" tliafc. l.rr.OV'j.we-sho.uld live 'in.peace and friendship p^(rti with, the people in the: south' and west ftp I }* of. Ireland;- if that were possible.:, They. no right: to impose.; ; Homo Rulo fevi^'-iipon'Ulster unless Ulster was prepared [r-;.;y \.to submit.. If tho ; Nationalists openly if avowed that they, were prepared to,act iiiithe' samo spirit,as'.the British, parthen ho, (Mr. Bonar Law) believing;;:':; eaVttat.it would be easier .to make ar-

I t , rangements with Ulster. 'J lie present I position was a blemish on our statesmanship, hut it uns not all the states- | , man's fault. The Government was I* x prepared to grant self-gox-ei nment to , • ' Ireland to-moirow where it was disi -tinctly demanded. Tho Government | wanted a settlement, but sacrifices [' . were necessary on all sides in order to . achieve it. The-Irish question acted , as a handicap in carrying on tho war. . . . "If ne make another attempt, and fail, j / tho position will bo worse," ho said. , "The Government has decided on its 1 oxvn responsibility, in some way or other, to make another attempt at a ''settlement. (Loud cheers.) The I ' . House knows the difficulties' of tho sit- ; uation, and I liopo members will not j—< press for a" fuller statement now, but ! give tho Government a little time for {, consideration. Wo think it woith ' , <wfiile to make tho attempt, whether it 'i • v succeeds or fails." ! ' Mr. Asquith said: "I think I may |. express on behalf of the whole Ho\i6o 1 ' 'our satisfaction at this announcement. ", Personally I think it better to make the attempt, and fail, than not make it at all. The Government will realise ' ' that it will have tho .sympathy and \ active co-opeiatlon of all or us." _ Sir Hjjiry Dalziel's motion was negatived, and fho Bill was read a second time—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

0k SORE THAT MUST BE HEALED 0 -.-SPJSEOH/BY SIRr JOSEPH WARD. • : V;;(R€C.. March 23,; 7.35 p.m.)- £ ;.:£:.■■. London, March 22. .';.;.-', .Speaking at the National ■' Liberal ;i;' : '-"!Club Sic Joseph Ward-referred to the -'■; Irish question, arid emoted Mr. Bonar ;.!■';';.:','■'.-Law's-statement in the House of-.Cora-' n^--'-. m °ns_j)u„ Marchls.;. that. if a new w-methbd. could be found for healiiij: this ;v.j,; : ; old ..sore it would .be of the best S;M' things for tho. Empire. Sir • Joseph ;.\v;','., .Ward' declared .that' in 'the interests, S.i'.vjiflt.of, the Empire alone, but of the i-v';y; world's civilisation, the -question called .' ' ■ ;for ; i>r6mpt- setllonieiit;'; It was a runi dangerous' sore at the heart ;■ .--of tho Empire, and extended to'couu- %:'% Jtries.far beyond. It should be healed. '•::.-without delay. c He felt,, convinced i-hat ,:■}■ ftaii effective and lasting settlement jlx could, be. made; -No effort should bo ; :;'-.V- .'brine -the,parties .'togethei establish:an-Irish' Parliament with ; v-irfull;. local autonomy. ' Such a- course •;.':. ;•;.was essential in order more.closely.to ;v. ; '--™ify the' Empire and to help to'win : ;;";.;V% war.—Aus.-N i Z.-.Cable Assn. '