ELECTIONS IN IRELAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17782, 16 May 1921, Page 5

ELECTIONS IN IRELAND.

SINN FEIN SWEEPS SOUTH.

120 CANDIDATES UNOPPOSED.

KEEN STRUGGLE IN ULSTER » ALL DIVISIONS CONTESTED. By T.'ozraDh—Pres3 Association—Copyrisht. (Received 8.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z.—Reuter. LONDON. May 14. Nominations were received yesterday for the Southern and Northern Parliaments;, to h set up in Treland under the Home Role Act. In the South Sinn Feiners secured unopposed nominations to 120 out ' r.f the 128 .-rats in the new Parliament. Dublin University returned four Unionists '■ unopposed. Nominations by the National University have been fixed for to-day. when four Sinn Feiners are certain to be returned. The Nationalists did not nomi- ; nal© candidates. The nominations for the 52 seats in the N'ort'.-rn Parliament comprise 52 Unionist's, 40 Sinn Feiners, 19 Nationalists, and five Labour candidates. The Sinn Fein " President," De Valera, opposes the Unionist leader, Sir James Craig, in County Down. The Bolfast correspondent of the Times states that, the Unionists anticipate a working majority of 12 to 16 over all combinations as a result of the elections for the Northern Parliament, which have been fixed for May 25. There will be contests in all divisions. The correspondent of the Times at Dublin reports that nomination day passed off without disturbance. Commenting on the sweeping Sinn Fein victory in the South, the correspondent states that practically all the members of the existing Drill Eireann have been elected to the now Parliament.

Those elected to the Southern Parliament include De Valera, Michael Collins, commander-in-chief of the Irish republican army, Mrs. O'Callaghan, wife of the late Mayor of Limerick, Countess Markievicz, and Mr. Arthur Griffiths, Sinn Fein vicepresident. Both Countess Markievicz and Mr Griffiths are in prison. REFUSAL TO WORK ACT. EVTERGENCY PROVIDED FOR. The nomination without opposition of the 128 members required for the Southern Parliament of Ireland obviates a contested election in the South. The return of a large Sinn Fein bloc had been expected. Mr. John Dillon, chairman of the Irish Nationalist Party, in a recent manifesto advising the Nationalists not to participate in the Southern elections, eaid that they could only enter the contests as opponents of the Sinn Fein, which was using the whole of its organisation to obtain a solid block. This would inevitably lead to bitterness, and possibly to disorder and bloodshed. Though still irreconcilably opposed to the Republican programme and methods, it would be impossible for the Nationalists in the present circumstances in Ireland to oppose them at the elections without being charged with supporting the Black and Tan Auxiliaries and Sir Hamar Greenwood's policy of brute force, which the Government' adopted against the advice of the Nationalists. Tlie next event, as far as the South is concerned, will be the summoning of the new Parliament, which the Act stipulates must take place on or before December 2, 1921. The Sinn Feiners have announced on several occasions their intention not to sit in the new Parliament. To meet such a refusal to work the Act provision has been made in the following manner:—The members of each Parliament before they sit* as members will be required to take the usual oath of allegiance, such as is administered in the New Zealand Parliament, or a solemn affirmation to the same effect. If a majority of the total members of the House of Commons of either Southern Ireland or Northern Ireland fail to take this oath within 14 days after the date fixed for the first meeting of the Parliament, then it will be assumed that Southern Ireland or Northern Ireland, as the case may be, is not willing to aroept the Act, 'and thereupon the Parliament will be dissolved and its place will be taken by <a Legislative Assembly appointed by thelKing, and the Government of Southern Ireland or Northern Ireland wQI be administered by the Lord Lieutenant, with the assistance of a committee of members of the Privy Council of Ireland, appointed for the purpose by the King. It is provided that the failure of one pari of Ireland will not affect the operation of the Act in the other pnrt of Ireland, except in io far as it will postpone the possibility of the establishment of a united Parliament and Government for the whole of Ireland.

In the case of' Northern Ireland, which for the purposes of the Act, consists o* the counties of Antrim. Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone, and the boroughs of Belfast and Londonderry, a contested election is involved. The election will be conducted according to the principle of proportional repre f;ent<ition, as would have been tbe case also in Southern Ireland in the event of a, contest. Fifty-two members are to be elected to the Northern Parliament, comprising 16 from Belfast, 32 from the six counties, including the borough of Londonderry, and four from Queen's University of Belfast. As in the case of the Southern Parliament, th e Northern Parliament must be summoned to meet on or before December 2.

The present representation of Ireland in the United Kingdom House of Commons is to he reduced from 105 members fo 46, but this reduction is not to be effected before the next dissolution of the United Kingdom Parliament.

330M8 IN DUBLIN STREET. 15 CIVILIANS INJURED. Australian and Cable Association, (fiecd. 11.80 p.m.) LONDON, May 13. A bomb was thrown at a police lorry in Craiton Street, Dublin, to-day. Fifteen civilians, including a number of wrjuien and a boy, were severely injured. The thoroughfare being crowded at the time, the police refrained from firing.