IRISH AFFAIRS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18407, 13 May 1920, Page 7

IRISH AFFAIRS.

THE HOME RULE BILL. ASQUITH AMENDMENT DEFEATED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Imperial News Service.) LONDON, May 10. The House of Commons has entered the committee stage on the Homo Rule Bill. Before discussions opened the chairman ruled out a number of amend ments embodying alternative schemeij as being equivalent to negatives of the Bill, but permitted Mr Asquith to move an amendment providing for a single Irish Parliament with county option for Ulster for a limited perioJ of six years on the lines of tho 1914 Act.

Mr Asquith maintained that the duplication of Parliaments, executives and judiciaries gave every opportunity for friction. The Government's plan was not countenanced in any section of Irish opinion, and would not be a stepping stone td Irish unity. Mrßonar Law emphatically asserted that Mr Asquith did not realise all that had happened during the last six years. While it was true that Irish member* had not voted on the Government's Bill, it -was equally true that they would have opposed Mr Asquith's proposal. Ulster's attitude was an immense advance on 1914. Whereas lister then insisted on txolusion, it now accepted local government for the whole of Ireland Mr Bonar Law stressed the extent to which Britain had suffer ed from uninformed foreign and dominion comment, which asked: Why not let Ireland govern herself? If th« 3 Government's proposal -wa3 adopted \*« could say to Ireland and tho world: We have given you as generous a measure of local government as we think possible, on conditions which mean thui the moment Irishmen can agree amoug themselves they can have it complete!) in one Parliament. Tho Government's object was to make unity easier. Sir Edward Carson regarded the siayear proposal as retrograde and impracticable. Although he detested the idea of breaking up the Parliament ol tho United Kingdom, he pledged himself, in the interests of an attempt at peace, that Ulster would do its best to work its Parliament, if enacted. Mr Asquith's amendment was defeated by 259 to 55.

A MAGISTRATE ATTACKED, (Received May 12, 9 p.m.) LONDON, May 12.

A party of armed men attacked Mr Wyne, the Resident Magistrate at Traleo, while motoring. Mr Wynne replied, firing five revolver shots,_ killing one Sinn Feiner and wounding two others. The rest fled. Mr Wvnno Wa.« not wounded. A gang of men fired with revolvers at three; policemen leaving the Lower Koad police station in Cork, killing two and dangerously wounding the third.'

ARREST OF POLICEMEN. (Received May 12, 9.55 p.m.) .LONDON, May 11

On the Coroner's warrant the Irish authorities arrested three policemen hi connection with the shootings at Miltown, Malbay.

(A cable message, dated April 16 last, stated that the police and military were involved in a collision with civilians at Miltown, Malbay, County Clare. Three civilians were killed and nine woundod There were no details.)