EXCLUSION OF ULSTER.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13613, 3 January 1913, Page 5

EXCLUSION OF ULSTER.

UNIONIST AMENDMENT

REJECTED,'

A SOEPKISI.NG STATEMENT

ULSTER'S PItEFERKNCiS FOR

FOREIGN RULE'

(Received Jan. 2, 11.5. p.m.)

London, Jan. 2,

In tlio House of Common© Sir Edward Careon moved an amendment excluding Ulster from the operation of the Homo Rule Bill. He said Ulster claimed to stand where she was. She claimed that she- had done her best under the Union, and claimed to have succeeded under it. It was for the Government if it wold to justify the toning out of Ulster. Ho pressed the Government to say whether they contemplated tho exercise, of force. They would never have dreamed of applying forco to Natal if it had refused to join •the South African Union. If tho Government had made up their minds ho i begged them to remember that no one could measure where the forces of disorder if unloosed would find their objective. ' . . ! Mr. Asquith said he was "unable to speculate or lay down contingent policies. He did not believe that when the Ulster people realised the solid protection the Eill afforded thorn, they would do other than accept tho Imperial decision. He- asked if the Bill were submitted to the electorate, what then would be the attitude of the Unionists? Mr. Redmond said he was not influenced by the danger of ciivil war. The feeling was as strong over the 1869 Church Act, but nothing happened. He was prepared to go to any limit to meet the Opposition, provided it was not inconsistent with national self-govern-ment. Mr. Bonar Law said disaster would follow tho currying of the Bill against Ulster's will. Tho Government in the event of war were gambling on the possibility of the whole Nationalist feeling of Ireland changing. The dangex"would be lessened if there were two subordinate- 'Parliaments. He advocated an amendment making it permissible for any county to remain ' outside, the control of tho Irish Parliament. Ho believed the Irish loyalists would rather be ruled by a foreign country than by the Nationalists. If the Government would submit the Bill to tho country ho, personalty, and he bolieved ho spoke for the Opposition, would not encourage any form of resistance by Ulster; but if the Government forced the. Bill he would assist Ulster in her resistance. Mr Winston Churchill said Mr Bonar Law had made the surprising statement that tho loyalists were prepared to submit to foreign rule. Sir Edward - Carson.'', interjected: Rather than be governed by Moonlighters. Mr. Churchill: This is the latest Tory threat. Ulster would soon be ceded to Germany. (Uproar.) ; .

Mr. Churchill, amid constant interruption, taunted Mr. Bonar Law with 'his latest step in Imperial statecraft, and declared that no Oppositionist believed the amendment was workable. It was proposed to met© out to the Catholics of Ulster exactly the treatment which the Opposition regarded as cruel and unfair to Protestants elsewhere. The Unionists' veto by violence was not justified. The Bill had to be passed three times, and long before the Irish Parliament could legislate oppressively there would be a general election, and the people would have a clear constitutional remedy without resort to threats .and violence. ,

The amendment was negatived by 294 to 197.