THE IRISH QUESTION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 1 October 1924, Page 9

THE IRISH QUESTION.

PREMIER’S DECLARATION

A BILL OF HONOUR

BY CABLE —PUESB ASSOCIATION —COPyBIGUI . Received Oct. 1, 2.10 o.m. LONDON, Sept. 30. Ihe House of Commons was crowded and animated when it reassembled to discuss the Irish Treaty Amending Bill. Air.- MacDonald received a Ministerial ovation on entering. Though this is nominally the only business of the special session, there was the usual batch of questions. Air. Ala cDonald, moving the second reading of. the Irish Bill, declared that if the Bill was not introduced it would be equivalent to the treaty lapsing. The Government had exhausted every effort to secure an 'agreement acceptable to both Irish parties, and had not moved until convinced that nothing else was possible.—Reuter.

Air AlacDonald appealed to all parties to help to pass the Bill, as it was a Bill of honour. He was of the opinion that in such a case it might never have to be brought into operation, but unanimity would be .an Imperial appeal to Ulster to be magnanimously loyal to the compact, upon the carrying out whereof Irish peace depended. Mr Baldwin ; and Sir Asquith announced that they would not oppose the second reading, the former stating that amendments would be moved in the Committee stage. It was a tragedy that the boundary question had beer •raised at a time when the whole of Ireland was, comparatively speaking, pacified.—Reuter.