NOME RULE

Southland Times, Issue 17599, 11 March 1914, Page 5

NOME RULE

POLL ON EXCLUSION. PRIME MINISTER'S PROPOSAL. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. LONDON. March 9. In the House-of Commons the Prime Minister (Right Hon. H. H. Asquith) announced Unit the Ulster Counties would he allowed to take a poll as to whether 'they should be excluded from tile Home Rule Bill .for six years. Before that period expired (he electors . <•£ the United Kingdom would have an opportunity of saying whether the exclusion should continue. 1 Mr Bonar Law (Leader of the Opposition) demanded that the electors should lie consulted; otherwise the Unionists would be unable to accept the proposals. ENTHUSIASM NOT EXPECTED. LONDON, ■ March 9. Mr Asquith does not expect his proposals to be accepted with enthusiasm in any quarter. TENSION IN THU COMMOXS. THU THREE ROADS. LOXDOX. March 9. The Mouse of Commons was crowded. Members wore unable to find accommodation on the floor of the Chamber and were seated in the galleries. Great tension prevailed throughout question time. Rt. Mon. 11. H. Asquith (Prime Minister). Mr Bonar Law (Leader of the Opposition). and Kir U. Carson (leader of the anti-Homo Rule movement) received ovations. Air Asquith rose amidst great cheering. Ho said lie was offering suggestions which, did not mean running away from the original Bill. He desired to give the Bill a start with the greatest measure of success. There was a prospect of acute dissatisfaction and civil strife, yet if the Bill were shipwrecked, mutilated, or postponed the outlook was equally formidable. Any settlement, therefore, must involve the acceptance of the principle of an Irish Parliament with special treatment to Ulster beyond the safeguards provided in the Bill. Mr Asquith continuing, said the Government had considered three roads as follow: (1) Home Rule within Home Rule, which did not commend itself to any of the parties. (2) Tiie inelusion of the whole of Ireland with the option of the Ulster Counties to re-cede alter a period. This also possessed fatal drawhacks. CD The inclusion of Ulster. The Government had decided that Ulster should be allowed to say whether it desired exclusion, the poll of electors to he taken before the Bill became operative. If inclusion were adopted the sixyearly period would date from the first meeting of Parliament. The terms would afford ample lime to tost the new Parliament and the electors of the United Kingdom would be able to say whether the exclusion should continue. Meanwhile Ulster would continue her representation in the Imperial Parliament. Mr Redmond (leader of the Nationalist Party) said that the Prime Minister had gone to the very limit .of concession. Long before the expiry of six years they would be able to make an exhibition .of tolerant government which would disarm suspicion. A BAPTISM OF BLOOD. LONDON', March 8. Speaking at Darlington. Lord Sollioine said there was no chance of peace if the baptism of Home Rule was a baptism of blood. The Sunday Observes (U.) declares that if four counties Down. Armagh, Antrim, and Derry are to be compulsorily absorbed' after a period of three or five years, then compromise is impossible. / DISCUSSION IX THU COMMOXS. MR ASQUITH'S STATEMENT. LONDON', March 10. Received. March 10. 11.23 p.m.

In the- House of Commons Mr Asquith said that he had personally spent a great deal of labour in trying to devise a settlement on the lines of Home Rule within Home Rule, but he had pleased no one, so the exclusion was only proposed as the price of peace, and an expedient to pave the way to a final settlement. The Irish Executive have not (he right of entry to Ulster, and the Imperial Minister who answered for the Irish Parliament would also he responsible for Ulster. There would he no difficulty in factory or workshop administration while education and local government could be dealt with by the creation of local authorities.. There would be no difficulty with the police and land purchase, as they were included in tiie services reserved for the Imperial Parliament. MR BONAR LAW'S VIEWS. LONDON. March 10.’ Received Mart'll 10. 11.30 p.m. Mr Bonar Law said that the Premier’. - : proposals were equivalent to saying to Ulster; “By organisation extending over throe years you have placed yourselves in an impregnable position. Therefore 1 don't ask you to submit now to a National Parliament, but will ask you to destroy your organisation and leave your fortress. When you are weak you will be compelled to do what you cannot bo compelled to do to-day.” Continuing he said: "Does the Premier consider that reasonable? I think the proposals are utterly futile. If the Government is not willing to have a general election it can pilt the proposals outlined to-night into the Rill and attach a clause necessitating the Bill to be submitted to the country for a plain “Yes" or "No.” He added that "if the verdict was “Yes” the Bill should he presented forthwith for the Royal assent. “I cannot speak for the House of Lords.” he said, “but if the Government do this 1 will do everything to enable them to carry the referendum into effect.” Mr John Redmond said that if Ulster frankly accepted the Government’s proposals as'the basis of peace they would accept them in the same spirit. It would be a tragedy if Sir E. Carson and his friends refused to assist in creating the good government of Ireland. -AIR REDMOND SPEAKS OUT. LONDON, March 10. Received March 10. 11.43 p.m. Mr Redmond added that if the Opposition, in a moment of unwisdom rejected this far-reaching and generous suggestion then the Government owed it *o Ireland and The Empire to put the Bill on the sta(ute\ book without delay, and face with firmness any movement to overawe Parliament, and subvert the law by menace or arms. SIR E. CARSONS OPINIONS. Sir E. Carson said that Ulster was not going to desert tiie loyalists in the west and s;outh of Ireland, but If the Government wanted to prevent Ulster from resisting by force as opposed to constitutional methods, Mr Asquith had made some progress by acknowledging the principle of exclusion. Details could be worked out by negotiations, but Ulster did not want a sentence of death with a stay of execution for six years. It was impossible for the business of Ulster to proceed with the people knowing that it) the future the Government might’be changed by a general election. Why not agree, he asked, after the referendum that Ulster remains part of the Imperial Parliament until Parliament having regard to the feeling of Ulster itself, orders otherwise. FURTHER DISCUSSED. THE DEBATE ADJOURNED. LONDON, Marcl) 10. Received March 11, 12.20 a.m. Sir E. Carson added that Mr ; KddVnond had asked the House to employ the resources V)f the Government against Ulster, but was the country prepared to allow the forces of the Crown—which were not the forces of any political caucus—to be used to coerce men who ask nothing but that they shall remain under this Parliament. Mr O'Brien said that the Premier's suggestions were both hateful and intolerable. Ulster was indulging In jj gigantic game of bluff.

Mr Tim Healy said that he would rather'have'no Bill i than the- proposed; modification. He was certain that ■Of Mr Redmond was going to swallow perpetual exclusion the four, excluded coun-. ties would be boycotted by all the Irish outside. There would probably be a movement in the American Congress to put the traiff of Belfast into line with other products and so prevent them from being in the United States. The debate was adjourned, till Marcn 16. Mr Asquith indicated tliart Belfast and Lohdonderry City, which were county boroughs, would vote as separate counties. The Unionists point out that the probable result will be that Londonderry City, will be ruled from Dublin though the county, in which the Unionist majority ruled, would be governed from Westminster. 1 BOND OX PRESS COM M EXTS. BOXDOX, March 10. The Daily Mail says that the Government’s decision to increase the period to six years was only. Intimated to the X:itionalist meeting yesterday. It is attributed to Royal influence. The Daily Chronicle says that the time limit is riot very material. Why should not Ulster have a referenda every three years. Mr Asquith’s proposal, it contends. meets the critics who say that Parliament Is not entitled to ransfer a populations to a new rule without the people’s consent. The Daily Xews says that the threat of civil war is being used to restore the supremacy of,, llje House of Lords and Ulster farmers were drilled in order to deprive the democracy of tire fruits of the victory won in if) 10. If the Premier's over-generous terms are rejected the country should ;ask for a severe repression of tlie rebel movement. £2.1.000 TO ulster fuxd. AUSTRALIAN' RESIDENT'S GIFT. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON. March 10. Advice was received last evening that it was reported in London on the authority of Earl Grey (ex-Governor - General of Canada, who is now visiting Now Zealand) that an Australian resident had given £211.000 to the Ulster Fund, and that Sir C. McCaughcy (probably the richest pastoralist in New Sgutli Wales) was the probable donor. On being communicated witli Earl Grey endorsed the statement but said that lie was pledged not to give the donor's name. WELLINGTON, Marcii 10. Earl Grey states that it is not Sir S. McCaugbey who has given £2;",000 to the Ulster Fund.