HOME RULE BILL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 87, 12 April 1912, Page 7

HOME RULE BILL.

INTRODUCED IN THE COMMONS MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE MEASURE ULSTER'S REPRESENTATION. NO RELIGIOUS TESTS. MIXED MARRIAGES.

By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. (Received April 12, 9 a.m.) LONDON, 11th April. ■ The House of Commons was crowded when tho Prime Minister (Mr. H. H. Asquith) introduced the Home Rule for Ireland Bill. Every seat in the Chamber had been secured hours before. The measure, amongst other thing 1 ;, provides for An Irish Senate of 40 members, all nominated. A House of Commons of 104 members, of which 59 shall represent Ulster. Forty-two Irish members to sit in the Imperial Parliament. OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF IRISH PARLIAMENT. Among matters which are to be excluded from the scope of the Irish Parliament are the following-: — Crown and Imperial affairs. The Navy and Army. The Land Purchase (Ireland) Act. Old-age pensions. National insurance. Royal Irish Constabulary. The Post Office Savings Bank. Collection of Imperial taxes. FINANCE. Th© Imperial Parliament will retain the power of vetoing or postponing legislation. A cardinal principle is that the Imperial Parliament shall not eurrender its supreme authority. Mr. Asquith explained that the li'ish Parliament would not be able to endow any religion. There would be no religious tests nor any interference with the validity of mixed marriages. The Ir,ish revenue would be collected by the Imperial Government and transferred to the Irish Parliament, with a grant at the outset of £500,000 yearly. Customs and excise will be transferred to Ireland, with limitations in regard to the matter of increasing Customs dues. AN ANGRY SCENE. When Mr. Asquith had concluded his speech there was an angry scene. t Mr. Bonar Law, Leader of the Opposition, repeated the statement made by him at Belfast — that the Government had sold itself for votes. The Prime Minister indignantly, lebutted Mr. Law's assertion. < Sir Edward Carson, ex-Attorney General and one of tho leaders of the anti-Home Rule movement in Ulster, said that the Bill was ridiculous and would prove unworkable.