OATH BILL PASSED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 752, 4 May 1933, Page 1

OATH BILL PASSED.

Action by Irish Free State. MEASURE CRITICISED. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received May 4, 1.10 p.m.) DUBLIN, May 3. The Dail Eireann passed the Oath Bill bj' - 76 votes to 56 votes. A despatch rider secured the GovernorGeneral’s signature to the Bill, which is operative from midnight. Mr Fitzgerald, who was Minister of Defence in the Cosgrave Ministry, protested against the Bill as tending to anarchy. It was dishonest to create a State without disclosing the situation to the people. Mr M’Dermot. an Independent, said the removal of the oath would not attract irreconcilables to the Dail. The sooner a Republic was proclaimed the better, since the prospect was much more damaging than an actual Republic would be. The Bill was a bit of chicanery and was mainly responsible for the economic war with Britain and the consequent miseries of Ireland. It rendered dignified relations with England impossible.

Mr de Valera declared that Ireland wanted no confession of allegiance to a foreign king. The removal of the oath would increase the respect for the law, and end civil war, the causes of which and military preparations for which were now completely unjustified. All sections must use political institutions to advance the ideals of Ireland. Everything conflicting with sovereign rights would be removed, and Ireland would govern itself.