IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS FURTHER SPEECHES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 71, 25 March 1914, Page 7

IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS FURTHER SPEECHES

BONAR LAW ON THE RESIGNATIONS. • ' LONDON, 24th March. In his speech in the House of Commons, Mr. Bonar Law said that it was impossible that General Gough's dismissal had been due to a misconception. The country had a right to know the terms of his reinstatement. He asked the Premier to say openly that he had been reinstated on the distinct understanding that he would not be asked to use his troops to enforce Home Rule. The officers who refused on conscientious grounds should be permitted to resign without forfeiting their pensions. The situation had arisen by the Government attempting to coerce part of the population without the authority of the electors. THE ARMY'S DUTY. Mr. Asquith in his statement defined the Army's duty. He said it must protect military property, and render assistance if the civil power were inadequate to deal with a riot or disorde*. , When Mr. Asquith, in replying, said that the officers domiciled in Ulster might resign, he was asked if similar regulations applied to strikes. *Mr. Asquith : Yes ; it is a good rule, where the military force is called to assist the civil, to avoid employing men" having domestic ties in the locality. Continuing, the Premier said that when Sir Arthur Paget received the War Office's instructions he assembled the divisional generals and , brigadiers and intimated to them that the movement of the troops might cause excitement, but the orders might be varied by consequential supplementary movements. General Gough, who ,4s a most distinguished cavalry leader, and a man of very great and well-deserved reputation, and some of the officers interpreted Sir Arthur Paget's observations in the sense of the letter which Mr. Bona.r Law read. The officers are now satisfied tha.t there has been a misunderstanding. They rej turned expressing their full willingness to discharge their duties. The Premier concluded that it was not the business of the Army and Navy to discriminate between the relative validity of different parts of the law. It' Mr. Bonar Law's doctrine were recognised, the whole fabric on which the la,w was built would disappear. If half a million men struck for shorter hours and better wages, and brought society near to starvation, would the officers disobey orders because they believed the men's cause 'to be just? "1 protest," said Mr. Asquith, "against the notion that the Army and Navy must ultimately determine the country's policy." MUST LOOK FACTS IN THE FACE. Mr. Balfour said it was absurd for the Premier to use conciliatory language. While Mr. Churchill was blowing the call to arms in Yorkshire, the Premier was calling out the fire-engines to put out the conflagration and sent two colleagues to assist, but the mains were destroyed and there was no wa.ter supply. Never before had it been thought necessary, when supporting a Magistrate or looking after small arms, to lay down conditions under -which persons in the Army who had relations dear to them should be able to lay down their arms, and mighft disappear and later come back without loss of military reputation. The thing was manifestly foolish. General Gough had been reinstated, though he still said he would not fight against Ulster. There were times in history when ordinary maxims for the government of society must be laid aside. There shad been such crises — in our civil wars, in the contest with the American colonies, and in the time of the disruptions between the north and the south. Sucli crises were due to circumstances beyond the power of man. If this were the case, it would bo insane folly for the Government to refuse to look the facts in the face. SYNDICALISTS' PoISONOUS VIEWS. Mr. Ramsay Macdonald eaid that if General Gough was unprepared to do his duty he ought to be' dismissed! The Syndicalists had apparently succeeded in inoculating the Tories witfi their poisonous views. Hundreds of thousands of trade unionists would Say that the Amiy officers were prepared to shoot strikers because they did not sympathise with the workers, but the officers did not do their duty in Ulster because of their elate bias and political prejudices. Lord Morley, in the House of Lords, repeated the Minif torial statement given in the House of Commons, and added thai the King approved of General Gough and the other officers being ordered to rejoin their regiments. STOCK EXCHANGE BUOYANT. (Received March 25, 11 a.m.) LONDON. 21th March. The Stock Exchange is buoyant, and thore has bo6n an a II- round advanco on account of the more hopeful outlook in Ulster, ('onsols touched 7G, find closed at 73J. ORANGEMEN IN SYDNEY CONTINGENT WILLING TO PROCEED TO 1U ELAND. MON ETAR yTsSISTA NCE. (Received March 25. 0.4.5 a.m.] bYDXET, This Day. At a meeting oi the Loyal Orange Institution it wa*. decided to t'Oim^ conting«!it uf #yruu*tlma*» with Ul*tßl' to procud (fi kf&c^U' JMCs*l££i M£&ijL

detend UIM-er A large number of offers of service were received. The executive also started a fund to supplement Sir Marcus 1 Samuel's donation for assisting resigning officers, and expressed a hope that tho King, as supreme head of Protest? nt Britain, would exercise his right of veto and make a General Election imperative before the Bill received his assent. FROM CANADA VOLUNTEERS TO LEAVE IN MAY. (TIMES AND SYDNEY SUN SERVICES^) (Received March 25. 8.10 a.m.) OTTAWA, 24th 'March. The first contingent of Canadian volunteers for Ulster will leave in May. Several Canadian and South African papers urge the adoption of the referendum proposal