MEMBERS SWORN IN

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 41, 17 August 1921, Page 5

MEMBERS SWORN IN

DE VALERA'S OPENING SPEECH

LEADERS READY TO DIE FOR

PRINCIPLE.

(»HITI» rillll ASSOOMTION.-COMMOiT.)

(W6MAUAN - NEW ZSAUNB JAILI A86OCIAIIOM.)

. (Beoeived August Vf, 9 a.m.) LONDON, 16fch August. / .In spite of a downpour of rain, there was an enormous crowd outside the Mansion House at the opening of the Dai) Eireann. Traffic was suspended, and large contingent* of/the Irish Republican army held the streets for a radius of 'a hundred yards.

The Dail Eireann assembled round the room in the Mansion House, where Pain ell made some of his greatest orations for Irish freedom, and Parnell's portrait hung above the Speaker's chair. There were nearly two thousand people present in the galleries, including pro-, minent lawyers, olergy, madical, and ■ business men. When th« Oletfc called .the names of Sir James Cr«s and other members of the "Ulster Parliament, and of Mr. John Devlin, to which, of course, .there was no response, there was derisive. laughter on the part of ; th« audience, suppressed by the Speaker. Mr. Michael • Collins, the first to sign, the roll, bad an •ovation. N , As the members of the Dail Eireann entered the Ohamber, an oath, pledging their, allegiartce to the Free Irish State, was administered. Five ladies^ took the oath, and one Englishman, LiexitenantCommander Erskine Childera: Mr. j John M'Neill was elected Speaker. Mt. do Valera, in a long speech, reiterated Ireland's claim for separation from .Britain. He said the only Government the people recognised was the Dail Eireann Ministry.' He would report on the negotiations with the Governments nnd proposed that the reply should be discussed in a private s.ession. He understood it was the intention of the British Government to make that reply un issue between peace and war, hence the first discussion should be held privately, and when the'reply was ready - Tor despatch, there would be another public session. H© did not 1 say ths people should be given a plebiscite for' ay ,form of republican government, so much ' as for Irish freedom and independence; hence the Irish Bepublio, as, such, was sanctioned by the will of the people; and their representatives Jiad solemnly declared the nation's independence, and would give their lives if necessary to make the people's will effective. "Only on the basis of recognition of the Bepublic can we deal with any foreign Power. We stand by thai principle, and ws mean to die for it if necessary." Th« British proposals were not just, and, because of that, he had Sent hi 6 reply. At the conclusion of Mr. d« Valera's speech, the Parliament adjonrnedi till tomorrow.

TROOPS ON LEAVE RECALLED

(Received August 17, 9 sum;)

LONDON, 16th August. All soldiers on . leave from Ireland have beefl ordered to return to their j-egimentSi