KING’S INTERVENTION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8679, 12 March 1914, Page 5

KING’S INTERVENTION

WILL NOT TAKE PREMATURE! . STEP. EARL GREY’S, VIEWS«- - -

Speaking to a “Times" reporter yes* terday of the King’s reported intervention in the Home Rule crisis, Earl Grey said it was not likely the King would come to any decision as to what he would do till the bill had passed - through the House of Commons. It seemed, he said, to be quite prematura to discuss the possibility of the King’s intervention. The King would not take a premature step. v Regarding Mr Asquith’s amended' proposals, as stated in his speech in the House of Gammons, Earl Grey said' he thought it would be wiser to wait until wo are in possession of Mr Asquith’s full proposals before, expressing a definite opinion upon them; but his impression was, if one might form an opinion from the recent cables, that criticism would show that the scheme, suggested was so unworkable that it would break down. “For instance,”' he said, “it is reported that Ulster is to keep its present representation in * Westminster of 33 members, while (h«' Ml rest of Ireland will have only 27. Herein are sufficient elements of- future confusion to make anyone distrustful as to the chance of this bill providing a settlement of the Irish difficulty. My impression is that this new proposal, will not be able to stand the criticism to wjiich it will be subjected, and that it will be necessary to attempt a new solution, as I hope by general consent on Federal lines.

“As you perhaps are aware, I am a Federal Home Ruler—that is, 1 am in favour of each part of the United Kingdom being- entrusted with the manage- __ ment of their purely domestic affairs, "" but I am strangle opposed to giving any part of the United'Kingdom privileges which cannot be equally pnto other parts. In other words, I am strongly opposed to any of the Irish difficulty on the assumption that Ireland is a separate nationality and entitled by reason of, its separate., nationality to separate rights. , The present bill, even with the exclusion of ~ Ulster, is oneu in my mind to tho f 0 strongest objection, because it is based upon an attempt to give Ireland rights of separate nationality instead of only such powers of local self-government as * could, under a Federal system such as exists in Canada, the United States, and Australia, be given toevGry.part,”-,-Earl Grev said he felt greatly fe-^. lieved at the turn events had taken because they swcut away any chance of civil war and left the way open to a settlement of the question on the lines ho had indicated-