Patea & Waverley Press. FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1914. The Home Rule Bill.

Patea Mail, Volume XXXIX, 17 July 1914, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press. FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1914. The Home Rule Bill.

In view of the alarming state of affairs existing in Ireland at the present time the position of the Home Rule Bill as it stands to day is worthy of more than passing notice. To fully understand the position one must go back three years prior to the passing of the Parliament Act, 1911, Up to tbat time the House of Lords had both legislative and judicial powers, and could alter or reject any measure sent up to it from the Lower Chamber. In 1911, however, the Act kuown os the Parliament Act was passed which provided inter alia tbat if any Public Bill (other than a Money Bill or a Bill containing any provision to extend the maximum duration of Parliament beyond five years) is passed by the House of Commons in three successive sessions (whether the same Parliament or not) and having been sent np to the House of Lords at least one month before the end of the session, is rejected or unacceptably amended by the House of Lords in each of those sessions, that Bill may receive the Royal assent provided tbat two years have elapsed between the second reading in the first of the three sessions and the final reading in the third. Briefly in other words the Bill must have been passed in the Lower House and rejected by the House of Lords three times before it can claim the King’s consent. The present Home Rule Bill passed its third Reading in the House of Commons on January 16 of last year and again on July 7th on the following session, being rejected in the House of ( Lords on January 31st and July 16th of the same year. The voting in the first two cases was 367 to 257 and 352 to 243. In the House of Lords the voting was 69 to 327 and 64 to 302 in January and July respectively. The Bill was brought before the House of Commons for the third and last time in May last when its final reading was carried by 351 votes to 275 the O’Brienites on this occasion refraining from voting. The measure was next referred to the House of Lords in accordance with the pro* visions of the Parliament Act. On May 3Cth when it came up for its second reading it was decided on the motion of Earl Crewe that the Bill stand over until an amending Bill has been read a second time. Since that date the Home Rule Bill has bean laid aside whilst the members ot the House of Lords have discussed the provisions of an amending Bill. This Bill is the one that is under discussion at the present time. From the time of its introduction, various amendments have been proposed, the chief of these being a scheme brought forward by Lord MacDonald which is practically a new Bill in substitution for the Amending Bill, This scheme provides for an Ulster Council to be elected by proportional representation to control education and the services administered by the Irish Local Gov.' eminent Board and the Department of Agriculture, The Council may be abolished by a poll of the Ulster electorates after five years- Accord ing to a Press telegram received on Wednesday in the report stage of the Amending Bill Lord MacDonald’e Amendment providing for proportional representation was adopted, and yesterday the third reading of the Bill was reported to have been carried. The gravity of the situation can bo appreciated when the fact is borne in mind that the original Bill has only to be rejected by the Lords to await the (Sovereign’s formal consent in accordance with the provisions of the Parliament Act and be at once placed on the Statute Book of Great Britain, Jn such case the Bill would subject to alteration by Order in Council come into operation on February 9th next this being the appointed day fixed in the Bill. Just now, possibly in the hope of starving off a conflict which would assuredly be fraught with disastrous and far reaching consequences to the Empire, the Lords are endeavouring to bring about a compromise by framing the Amending Bill. Should this not meet with the appeal 9* Home Goyernment

then the Lords would have no option but to proceed with the original Home I Kule Bill when it would be at once ) rejected and thereupon as we have , stated simply await the Royal assent. I How long it will bo before the matter \is finally decided it ia difficult to say. At most it cannot be more than a question of days, when if no compromise is effected the storm must burst. In the meantime the outlook is about as dark as dark can be and any moment the country may be plunged into a state of civil war.