Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23rd, 1913. TREASON.

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 December 1913, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23rd, 1913. TREASON.

The.question of Home Rule* anti the position of Ulster still continue to occupy a prominent position in London cables messages. Indeed, matters seem to be approaching a climax, and there is much talk about the seizure of arms and ammunition in the disturbed province. The marvel of the whole business is that the chief instigator and promoter of Ulster’s resistance —Sir Edward Larson —has not long ere. this paid the penalty of his undoubtedly treasonable speeches. The Treason Felony Act of Great Britain provides that: “If any person. . . • shall, within the United Kingdom or without, compass ... or intend • . to levy war against his Majesty, within any part of the United Kingdom, in order by force, or constraint to compel him to change his measures or counsels, or in order to put any force or constraint upon, or in order to intimidate or overawe, both Houses or either House of Parliament . . . and such compassing* ... or intentions . . . shall express, utter, or declare by publishing any printing or writing, or by any overt act or deed, every person so offending shall bo guilty of felony . .” Both Sir Edward Carson’s words and acts are clearly directed to levying war on the King, to compel him to “change his measures,” and to intimidate the House of Commons, as instance , the following characteristic speech delivered by the Unionist lender at a review of Ulster troops:“I do not hesitate to tell you that you ought Jo set yourselves against this constituted authority in the land, and I do so for this simple reason : that I do not believe that any man or body of men, whether they be a Parliament or whether they be an assemblage of men who have obtained their authority by force, have a right to filch away from any great community or any great body of citizens the elemental rights of civil and religious .liberty which they have inherited, and which they are ready to carry on to the end. There will .be difficulties in trying to run a Government of our own against the,

constituted Government of the Home Rule Bill. It will be a. constant tight I between the Parliament of the Ancient. Order of Hibernians—because it will be nothing else—and the Parliament we will set up. . . We will set up that Government. lam told it is illegal; of course it is. (Laughter.) Drilling is illegal. I was reading an Act of Parliament the other day forbidding it. The volunteers are illegal, and the Government know they are illegal. The Government dare not interfere with what they know is illegal, and the reason the Government dare not interfere is this—because they know the moment they interfere with you, then you will not brook their interference, and, then, the moment you do not brook their interference the knowledge would be brought home to every man in England that, not only were you in earnest, but that you were prepared to make any sacrifice to maintain your liberty; and the moment that is understood, the Government know well their game is up. Therefore, do no the afraid of illegalities which are not crimes; they are not sordid or mean.” Like a good many criminals, Sir Edward Carson argues that his “illegalities” are not crimes, and that there will be compensation in some vaguely-imagined good for the ill' which he does to his fellows. He admits himself, however, that he has broken the; law, and flings in the Government’s face the Acts of Parliament which proclaim him a traitor to his King and a conspirator against the public peace, though his friends plead that much in his speeches has been merely contingent criminality, and a great deal more mere bravado. It remains, however, that for infinitely less treasonable utterances the Dublin Labour leader, Larkin, was arrested and sentenced. But then Sir Edward Carson is a Privy Councillor and a strong political opponent of the Asquith Government, and no Government could willingly prosecute a political opponent-