IRISH RULE.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1920, Page 5

IRISH RULE.

| SEEKING A SETTLEMENT. I BILL THROUGH THE COMMONS. By Teleeraph.—Presj Asia.—Copyright. i Received Nov. 12, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 11. In the House of Commons, the Home Rule Bill was read a third time. Mr. William Adamson (Leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party), said the British Labor Party did not believe in an Irish Republic, but the Irish people should be given freedom of choice. Mr. Asquith (Liberal Leader) appealed to the House to try to make a lasting settlement of the Irish problem. Mr. Lloyd George said a perverse fact of the situation was that the temper of the people of Britain and Ireland were never synchronised. There was an atmosphere of morbid suspicion. At the present moment Ireland was in a bad temper, and it did not know what the Bill contained and would not look. It was essential that Britain should control the Irish harbors, and Britain could not allow Ireland to raise an army, which might be half a million strong. Finally, Ulster must not be coerced into accepting a Parliament it did not want. Mr. Asquith interjected: '1 agree with that."

Mr. Lloyd George continued that except for these things the Government was prepared to give almost anything to Ireland. Sir Edward Carson said Ulster could not pretend to like the Bill, but would do her best to perform her obligations. He hoped with all his heart that the Bill would be a success. Mr. Devlin believed a great scheme of Dominion Home Rule with safeguards for Ulster would satisfy the overwhelming sentiments of Ireland.

Mr. Adamson's amendment was rejected, and the Bill was read a third time—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.