IRISH CITIZENSHIP

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 124, 11 May 1935, Page 7

IRISH CITIZENSHIP

Effects of Legislation

HOUSE OF LORDS INQUIRY

View of British Government

The subject of the Irish Citizenship and Nationality Bill, now before the Free State Senate, and the Aliens Bill, which has been read a second time in the Dail, were referred to in the House of Lords by Lord Danesfort. He said in effect it made ail British subjects aliens in the Free .State, and “subjected them on entering the Free State to degrading and harassing restrictions and disabilities whereby, among other things, they will bo compelled to register as aliens, and to be subject to police control, and will, when they engage in trade in the Free State, be liable to an aliens order made by a Free State Minister involving summary arrest and search of their premises.” Lord Danesfort inquired what protest, it any, the Government had made against “these grave irregularities, and what steps they have taken to ensure that loyal subjects of His Majesty, resident in the Free State, will not be deprived of their rights as British sub. jects and that British subjects entering the Free State shall be protected against unconstitutional restrictions on their liberties.” RECIPROCAL TREATMENT. Lord Mount Temple said lie had property- in Ireland, but if he went there ho was liablo to bo stopped and turned back, and if he entered ho was liable to have his business interfered with and his place of residence prescribed for him. Ho would not bo allowed io go more than a, certain distance. In iact, ho was liablo to bo treated as people were treated in Germany and Italy, and finally he would not be allowed to go back to England. The Lord Chancellor pointed out that the Citizenship Bill contained a peculiar clause dealing with “mutual citizenship rights," which provded tor reciprocal treatment for citizens of countries which extended citizenship privileges to citizens of tho Irish Free State.

Speaking on tho third reading of the bill, Mr. de Valera hud said; “We admit that our citizens are, in fact, getting certain privileges iu Great Britain, in Canada, Australia and South Africa, by the law of these countries. Wo say that in so far as our citizens are getting these privileges in these countries we are prepared to give the citizens of these countries similar privileges. One of the first acts of tho Executive Council when this bill becomes law will lie by order to confer on the citizens of those, countries privileges akin, to the privileges our people get in those countries." The Aliens Bills also contained a “reciprocity” clause similar to that in the Citizenship Bill. POLICY OF BRITAIN. “The position the United Kingdom Government takes is this," said the Lord Chancellor. “Tho established policy of the Government is that all subjects of His Majesty, of whatever origin, should be treated alike in this country as regards admission and residence. The view of tho Government is that Irish Free State citizenship does not deprive any persons of their status as subjects of His Majesty. 'The Government proposes to reserve its decision until it sees what form these bills will take when they become Acts of Parliament.

“If, as is assumed, an order is made under Clause 10 of the Aliens Bill—the section dealing with reciprocityno situation seems likely to arise which would call for any variation of the established policy of the Government which I have alluded to.”

A week after the House of Lords discussion referred to the following cablegram was received from Dublin: — “Tiie Citizenship and Aliens Acts were signed to-day. The Government simultaneously announced the exemption of subjects of the British Commonwealth of Nations from tho restrictions under the Aliens Act.”