Irish Home Rule.

Mt Benger Mail, 18 March 1914, Page 1

Irish Home Rule.

MR ASyUJTH'S PROPOSALS

ILSTER MAY STAND OUT

LONDON, March 9.

The House of Commons was crowded. Many uf the members being unable to lind accommodation on the lloor of the Chamber, were seated in the galleries. Great tension prevail -.1 throughout question time.

Mr Asquith, Mr Bonar Law, and Sir !K. Carson, on making their appearance, received ovations. The Prime Minister ro»e, amidst great cheering, and said that he was offering suggestions which did not mean running away from the original I<ill, but he desired to give the measure a start with the greatest degme <>f success. There was a prospect oi a nte dissatisfaction and civil strife, yet it the Dill were sl.ipwieckel or mutilated or postponed the outlook was equally formidable. Any settlement, theretore, must involve the acceptance of the principle of an Irish l'arliament, with special treatment 'o I lster beyond the safeguards alreac'v provided in the Dill. Continuing the Prime Minister #t>ul that the I lster counties would be allowed to take a poll as to whether they bhould be rxd'.i l.vi from the operation Of the Dill for a term of six \eais. Before that period expires the elector* of the I nited Kingdom \»ill ha\o an opportunity to say whether the exclusion shall continue. The Go\eminent had considered these three roads : l'ir.-t, Home Rule within Home Rule, which did not commend itselt to afty of the parties. Second, the inclusion of the whole oi Ireland, with the option to the I Istei counties to recede after a period; but this also possessed tat d l drawbacks.

Third, the inclusion of Lister. The Government had decided that Ulster should be allowed to say whether she desired exclusion, and a poll of the electois will be taken before the P>i 11 (Dines into operation. If exclusion adopted tlie six years' [K'l'iod vill date from the fust in 'ing of the lri»h Parliament. This i will afford ample time to test V2 new Parliament, and the electors of tr •" ' nited i\ i;iL, r doiu w ill ire able to say w belli-c the exclusion should continue. Mean while, Ulster will continue her representation in the Imperial Parliament.

Mr Asquith concluded by saying that he did not expect that his proposals would be accepted with enthusiasm iu any quarter. Mr .J. E. Redmond said that the Prime .Minister had gone to the very limit of concession. Long before the expiry of six years the Nationalsts would be able to make an exhibition of tolerant government which would disarm suspicion. Mr Bonar Law demanded that the electors of Great Britain should be consulted, otherwise the Unionists would be unable to accept the new proposals of the Government.