THE IRISH PROBLEM.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 112, 14 May 1914, Page 4

THE IRISH PROBLEM.

MR ASQUITH'S AMENDING BILL.

OPPOSITION'S UNSWERVING HOSTILITY.

[Press Association.] (Received May 13, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 13. In the House of Commons Mr Asquitfti said that tihe Opposition's alftitude was one of unwavering hostility. If there was to be something in thenature of an. agreed settlement it must be accomplished through an. amending Bill. He asked for tihethird reading of the Home Rule Bill before Whitsuntide, after which theGovernment would introduce the amending Bill either in. the House of Lords or in the House of Commons. He had not decided which.

The announcement manifestly surprised Mr Redmond. Mr Asquith, proceeding with hisspeech, said that the suggestion pufc down for disestablishment would entirely reconstruct the Bill and it wa*: jaot one which th© Government could accept—so,_ said he, why waiste time in academio discussion when they could not insert amendments. The Government would allow full discus-? sion on the (return of the Bill to th© House of' Commons.

Mo- Bonar La,w saidl that before, reading the Home Rule Bill a third time the House should know the^ GoVernment's proposed amendments. The only.hope of peace was the Government's influence with the Nationalists. The latter ■ would be less willing to* make concessions after the Bill wa» passed. Mr Balf our said that if the Govern,ment was submitting an amending: Bill it implied' that the other Bill "was defective.

1 Mir Lloyd George said: If everyoffer put forward by o\ir opponente was so treated that was the way topromote civil wa.r.

Uproar for two "minutes and criesof "Shame! you are a disgrace to the country."' Mr Balfoiir continued to say that x the abandonment of the suggestion stage was a reversal of the policy Mr Asquith recommended when ho introduced the Parliament Act. The Government now admitted, after the Bill' had run the gauntlet for three years, that it was unable to place it on theStatute Book without being amended,, but no amendment which left in theBill provision for a Dublin Executivecould receive the Opposition's support. He begged the Government to defer the tliird reading until theHouse saw the terms of the amending: Bill.