IRISH RULE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10537, 13 March 1920, Page 8

IRISH RULE

ULSTER’S OUTLOOK MIND PREVAILS OVER HEART. HAS THE COVENANT BEEN BROKEN? • A MOMENTOUS MEETING. By Telegraph—Press Assn—Copyright Jmrcmuau and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, March 11. Yesterday’s meeting of tho Ulster Unionist Council is generally regarded as the most momentous ever hold. Tho speeches were marked by intense seriousness. An earnest and strong contingent of delegates from Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan put up a strenuous fight for inclusion m tho northern area. Tho “Daily Telegraph’ says: ‘The three counties paraded. Tho Ulster Covenant should not be departed from; but the inexorable facts of the situation prevailed, and they were defeated by a largo majority. It was with sorrowful feelings that tho majority voted tho outpost counties out of tho Ulster Parliament; but mind had to prevail over heart. It was felt that if they were included, the Unionist majority would bo so small that Parliamentary business would be impossible.” The motion on behalf of tho three counties saidi “Tho council, abiding by tho Covenant, refuses any form of Government not including the whole province, and demands that the Parliamentary leaders shall see that tha hew biff is altered accordingly.” When this was defeated, the meeting earned unanimously a motion reaffirming its preference for Union to Home Rule, and refusing to accept responsibility for the new bill; but that tho new bill was preferable to the 1914 Act, a simple repetition of which seems unprocurable. The Ulster representatives, therefore, should not accept the responsibility of defeating the new bill, but should press for amendments protecting the . interests of Unionists outside the six counties.

Tiio '"Daily Telegraph 1 ' say* the upshot of the whole thing is that Ulstei will not oppose the bill, but the excluded counties are solid. A DEPLORABLE- RETURN. The “Morning Post” states that tho outstanding feature of the meeting was the frequent manifestation of the fact that tho Loyalists would give anything Co remain as they are, and are being pushed out of fho United Kingdom against their will, which is a deplorable return for what Ulster did in helping to win tho war. Tho Ulster Unionist Business Men’s Council, it says, also reaffirmed preference for Union; but authorised Sir Edward Carson to proceed as he considered best, because the rejection of tho new bill would involve a grave risk of establishing an All-Ireland Parliament. On the other hand, tho Irish Unionist Alliance met in Dublin and resolved that while recognising Ulster’s claim for separate treatment, the new bill must bo opposed by every means in their power. SIR EDWARD CARSON’S SPEECH. Sir Edward Carson, in a speech at a public meeting in Belfast after tho termination of the Council, said that if they had their way there would be no tampering with tho Union, They warned the Government that whatever the outcome of the tampering was, they would accept no responsibility, and if disaster resulted, tho whole responsibility would bo on tho Government. At the same time, ho refused to ask his followers to run their heads against a wall. They would not participate in discussions before tho committee stage, when they would try to amend the bill in tho interests of Ulster. He had set out to free Ulster from tho Dublin Parliament. If tho bill was passed, they would have won. He had not said (? saved) tho whole of Ireland, but ho would have done what he had covenanted for. It was all very well, ho said, to eay: “Why not fight as before?’’ But there was nothing more to fight for if Ulster was freed from tho Dublin Parliament. It was no use pretending they could govern Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan. They had a strong Ulster in tho six counties, which would be a better support for tho other three than if they had a tottering Ulster comprising tho whole nine. Ho I denied that the Covenant was broken.- Tho Council’s decision was sane, wise, and statesmanlike. It was not due to funk, but to sheer logic and reason. MORE OUTRAGES REPORTED Australian and N.Z r'nblo A-sn-iniion. LONDON, March 11. Tho juries refused a verdict of murder at tho inquests on Constable Ryan and another slain constable, and returned open verdicts. Sergeant Flynn was attacked at Macroom, and left on the roadway in a critical state. A gang assailed two constables in Tipperary, and left one naked and cropped the hair of the other. Inspector McDonagh was shot dangerously at Cork, and Constable Murphy was seriously wounded in Limerick.