IRISH AFFAIRS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12010, 12 March 1920, Page 8

IRISH AFFAIRS.

Second Edition. ‘

JURIES REFUSE; MURDER VERDICT. Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. . Received March 13, noon London, March 11 Juries refused to return verdicts of murder at the inquests on Constable Ryan, cabled oo the 9th, and another slain constable. They retimed open verdicts. MORE VICTIMS. gergt Flynn, who was attacked at Marcooin and left on the roadway, is in a critical state. A gang assailed two constables in Tipperary, left one naked and cropped the other’s hair. Inspector McDonagh was shot dangerously at Cork, and Constable Murphy was seriously wounded at Limerick. * ULSTER COUNCIL MEETING. The motion on behalf of the three Counties, said: “The Council, abiding by the, uovenant, refuses any form of Government that does not include the whole -province, and demands that the Parliamentary leaders sbould see that the new Bill is altered accordingly. ” When this was defeated the meeting carried unanimously a motion reaffirming preference of the Union to Home Rule and refusing to accept reeponsibiiltv for the new Bill, but the new Bill is preferable to the 1914 Act the simple repeal of which seems unprocurable. Ulster representatives therefore should not accept resposibility for defeating the new Bill, but. should press amendments protecting the interests of Unionists outside the-six Counties. The Daily Telegraph says the upshot of the whole thing is that Ulster will not oppose the Bill, but the excluded Counties are soli. The Morning Post states that thq outstanding feature of the meeting was the frequent manifestation of the fact that the loyalists would give anything to remain as they are, and are being pushed out of the United Kingdom against their will, which is a deplorable return for what Ulster did in helping to win the war. The paper adds that the Ulster, Unionist Businessmen’s Council also, reaffirmed preference for the Union, but authorised Sir E Carson to proceed as he considered best, because rejection of the new Bill would involve the grave risk of establishing an All Ireland Parliament. On the other hand the Irish , Unionist Alliance met at Dublin and resolved that, while recognising Ulster’s claim to separate treatment, the new Bill must be opposed by every means in their power. 1 * Sir E. Carson in a speech at a public meeting in Belfast, after the termination of toe Council, said if they had their way there would be no tampering with the Union. They warned Government that whatever may be the outcome of tampering they would accept no responsibility, and if disaster resulted the whole responsibility will be Government’s. At' tbe same time he refused to ask his followers to run their heads against a wall. They would not participate in discussions before the committee stage, when they would try to amend the Bill in Ulster’s interests. He had set out to free Ulster from a Dublin Parliament and if the Bill passed they would. He would not have j saved the whole of Ireland, but would have done what was covenanted for. It was all very well to say why not tight as before, but there was nothing more-to fight tor if Ulster was freed from a Dublin Parliament. It was no use pretending that they could govern Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan. Th>jy had a strong Ulster in the six Counties, which would be better support for the other three than if they had a tottering Ulster, comprising the whole nine. He denied that the Covenant had been broken. Thoj Council’s decision was sane, wise and statesmanlike, not dne to funk, but to sheer logic and reason.