IRELAND

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 3 October 1924, Page 5

IRELAND

BILL BEFORE COMMONS

READ A SECOND TIME

(B / Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Reuter’s Telegrams.)

LONDON, Oct. 1. The motion for the rejection of . the Irish Bill was defeated by 291 votes to 124.

The Bill was read a second time. LONDON, Oct. 2. The Daily Express understands that Lord Carson win be the Government’s Ulster ncpr.inee on the Boundary tommission.

A paragraph in Mr Lloyd speech during the Commons debate denied emphatically that pledges, were, given Ulster by liis Cabinet on the lines suggested by the late Lord Long. In the House of Commons Captain Wedgewootl Benn urged the adoption of an imperial attitude, remembering that the solution lay in the unity of'lreland as a. Dominion of the British Commonwealth. He asked the Conservatives “whether we. could break our word to tiie smallest Dominion without destroying the faith ‘of the whole of the Dominions.” . *' . Mr Austen Chamberlain accused the Government of altering the old treaty and he hoped the Government would not destroy the possibility of agreement by putting pressure one one side only. . Mr Clynes deprecated the anticipations apparent in some quarters that disoideis in Ireland would follow the operation of the Bill. •' ' Mr Lloyd George said the Government’s action was perfectly justified. Air Thomas winding up the debate, gave a guarantee that the Government did not, intend to and would not appoint a commission when the Bill became law, merely as the nominee of the British Government. Ho would try to find a man .who would he a representative of Northern Ireland. Mr Thomas expressed fiis long rooted distaste for the necessity* of the appointment of a boundary commission, which he believed would mean permanent partition, and have a ruinous effect, on Ireland’s economic development. He declared that neither of the _ Irish lenders was unreasonable, hut their posit ions wore most difficult. The House of Commons went- into committee on the. Irish Bill.

Mr Cl.vnes said he hoped when the committee stage was concluded to-day the report and third reading would also be taken, whereupon the Commons would adjourn till Bth October, when the censure, motion in connection with the Workers’ Weekly would be taken.