IRISH QUESTION

Nelson Evening Mail, 2 August 1916, Page 7

IRISH QUESTION

PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN [ VIEW. | SINN FEINISM -AGAIN', (Renter's Telegrams.'; I LONDON. July 31. ! Mr Asnuitb, in replying- to Mr Dilloi. declared that Ulster could not be brought under Home Rule without her consent. Home Rule could not be removed from the Statute Book. The recent negotiations, although they hal broken down. revealed: an approximation of attitude and created a- new sit l !;- - tion. The House was dealing with i'no period of transition, and in a short time —shorter than some people imagin -id —they would be able to arrive at a permanent arrangement. It was necessary, however, to have a civil executive. lie opined that a- scheme of a- Provisional Council advising- the Chief Secretary \v,i* impracticable. It -was ■ important to have an effective head of the civil administration. Mr Duke had administrative capacity and -sympathy with the Irish people, and a desire for a. settlement.

Mr Asquith said he did not think it right under existing conditions to reduce the military establishment in Ireland. He paid, a tribute to General Fir John Maxwell, who had always leaned towards mercv. The Lord Lieutenancy would be maintained, but there was no urgency to nominate an occupant at present. Sir T. Mackenzie Chalmers was remaining under the Chief Secretary. Mr As-nuith stated that the cases of 1841 Irish orison °rs had been investigated, of whom 1272 had been released and 569 interned. It must not be supposed that there was not a prima facie case against those released. He. hoped to arrange for a substantial Treasury loan to rebuild the places-:destroyed at Dublin. Although there was a- remarkable absence of ordinary agrarian crimein Ireland, there had been a- recurclescence, of Sinn Feinism in some districts in a most aggressive form, and also deplorable manifestations of sympathy with the enemy. He believed the vast majority were loyal to the core, but there w r -ere anarchical forces requiring vigilance.

Mr Redmond said any revival of tne Dublin Castle regime would be serious, but the establishment of a Unionist executive -was an outi'age on Irish, feelings. He protested against" any such proposal. It would be the duty of h's party to watch, and criticise, and, if necessary, onpose the new administr ition as it nleased. There would nev?r now be civil war in Ireland, and when the time was ripe all differences wou!d be peacefully settled. The goal of a United Ireland, towards which Sir Ed-wai-d Carson, like himself, turned.

would be reached, please God, through methods of peace and amity. Mi' Redmond added :—"Nothing has happened and nothing 1 conldi happen to alter my "views about the war. This is not only an Empire war, but a war on behalf of small nationalities, and in a very special sense it is Ireland's war. The highest int-erests of Ireland 10- ■ quired her to do her duty and win the war. The ■Government must not allov 1 the rnad outbreak of a thousand 1 man to make them forget that 150,000 Irishmen are fighting on the battlefields of France, and that tens of thousands ->f Irishmen from the Dominions are performing the saine gallant tasks. Lord Hugh Cecil insisted upon the Government enforcing law and. order. Mr Bonar Law said that the Unionist members of the Cabinet were prepared to adopt the settlement, but if the Unionists were able to prevent it Home Hide would never come into operation without an amending Bill which carried out the agreement with Ulster fairly. Mr Devlin said the Government seemed to think that Irishmen were goo.] for nothing except the division lobbies. If they ever marched there, again he hoped it would be for the purpose or clearing the present coalition out of > office. He never agreed to the. permanent exclusion of Ulster. He agreed to Mr Lloyd George's proposals because tlidv ,were a temporary war measure. Sending a Unionist Chief Secretary to prop up Dublin Castle would make things more hideous than ever. It was a travesty of statesmanship. " ! MR DILLON'S MOTION CARRIED, j LONDON. • July" 31. 1 In the House of Commons Mr Dillon's motion was carried.