BILL TO AMEND IRISH TREATY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 80, 1 October 1924, Page 5

BILL TO AMEND IRISH TREATY

DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT

PREMIER'S APPEAL FOB* SUPPORT

(UNITED PRIS3 ASSOCIATION.—COPTRIOIT.)

(KEUTER'S mBORAH.) (Eeceived Ist October, noon.)

LONDON, 30th September,

The House of Commons was crowded and animated when it reassembled to discuss the Irish Treaty Amending Bill. The Premier, Mr. Mac Donald, received a Ministerial ovation on entering. Though this is nominally the only business of the special session, there was the usual batch of questions.

Mr. Mac Donald, in moving the second reading of the Irish Bill, declared that if the Bill were not introduced, it would be equivalent to the Treaty lapsing. The Government had exhausted every effort ;,o secure agreeable to both Irish parties} and had not moved until convinced that nothing else was possible.

Mr. Mac Donald appealed to all parties to help to pass the Bill as a Bill of honour. He ventured to think that in such a case it might never have to be brought into, operation. Unanimity would be an Imperial appeal to Ulster to be magnanimously loyal to the compact upon the carrying out of which Irish peace depended.

Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Asquith announced that they would not oppose the second reading, the former stating that their amendments would be moved in Committee. It was a tragedy that the boundary question was raised at a time when the whole of Ireland was considerably pacified.