For Reconciliation

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XV, Issue 215, 10 December 1925, Page 5

For Reconciliation

Ireland and Britain CONFIRMATION AGREEMENT BILL. CARRIED IN THE COMMONS. ißy Cable—Press Association—Copyright.] London, Dec. 8. Mr. Baldwin, in moving the second reading of the Irish Confirmation ot Agreement Bill, made a special point that he alone of the Prime Ministers saw the boundary map and report. Sir James Craig and Mr. Cosgrave, for reasons of their own, which he fully appreciated, did not think fit to see the documents, nor would they in any case. Asa matter of fact the map and statements published were far from accurate. Mr. J. A. R. Marriott said that as he understood the agreement the House, in return for the Free State’s cash repayment of £4,000,QU0 plus £500,000 in bonds to Irish Loyalists, was. asked to remit claims amounting to £155,000,000. Sir W. H. Davidson said that while the Free Slate was relieved of its share of the burden, l ister had already paid £18,000,000. _ Air. Churchill said that on a balance Ulster had not paid much more than £1,000,000. It would have been impossible to approach the matter from the point of view of extracting the last farthing, irrespective of the consequences to the Free State. Mr. J. H. Thomas said the Labourites hoped the settlement would be final, and appealed to both sides to release political prisoners. '1 hough many feared a new burden would be placed on the British taxpayers, he believed all should accept the settlement, the ground for which had been prepared by the Labour Cabinet.

Mr H. A. L. Fisher said the Liberals welcomed the bill as a basis of reconciliation between Irish and British. I The third reading was carried without a division.—(A. and N.Z.) IN THE DAIL EIREANN. GENERAL ELECTION PROBABLE. Dail Eireann adjourned the debate on the boundary agreement. A Labourite, Mr. Johnson, urged the Government not to allow the issue to be decided without a direct referendum or a general election. A commotin was caused when Professor O’Sullivan was speaking in favour of the bill, a man in the gallery shouting, “You are a liar.” The interrupter was removed.-—(Reuter.) It is officially stated that the Irish Republican members may attend the Dail in order to vote the Government out of office on the ground that border Nationalists who expected to come into the Free State have been betrayed, but this will only precipitate a general election, in which the Coscrave Government probably would gain an overwhelming majority.—(A. and N.Z.)