Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 30 October 1913, Page 34

Notes

Finding Their Mistake At a meeting of the executive of the National Schools Defence League, which was held in Wellington on Friday last, Mr. A. R. Atkinson, who presided, said that in Auckland the number of signatories to the petition in favor of the present Act had increased to 8000, 4000 of whom had previously signed the cards of the Bible-in-Schools League tinder a misconception. If this statement is trueand we have no reason to doubt it— is very significant- as to the methods adopted by the League. Plain Words from Mr. Asquith The following plain statement of the Government's intentions in" regard to Home Rule was made by Mr. Asquith in a speech which is summarized in Monday's cables: ' In a speech at Elibank Mr. Asquith dealt entirely with the Irish situation. He said the Home Rule Bill has been supported from first to last with undiminished majorities. So far from being carried by the Irish vote, it had received the support of a substantial majority of the British members of Parliament. Mr. Redmond and he had co-operated, and neither party was ashamed of the co-operation, of which the whole of the Liberal party and nearly four-fifths of the Irish people approved. There was abundant evidence of practically united support by all the selfgoverning dominions (cheers). There was, therefore, a complete constitutional case for the application of the Parliament Act. Next session the Government would make Home Rule operative. They would agree that the action of statesmen in a matter which had reached this stage ought not to be affected or deflected. The menace and forcible resistance doctrines preached in Ulster during the last two years and which, he regretted, responsible quarters countenanced, were a negation of the first principles of parliamentary and democratic government (cheers). If the minority was entitled to resist by force, what possible answer could be made -to the mass of the Irish if ; they preferred a similar claim in the event of being frustrated in a perfectly constitutional demand wherein they were supported by the large majority of the British members of Parliament? "No," he added, we 'shall not be intimidated by the threat of force." He said he hoped and believed that Home Rule would be brought into operation without recourse to the armed forces of the Crown, but if a deliberately enacted statute was met by organised and armed resistance it would clearly be the duty of the Executive to assert the authority of the law by appropriate and adequate measures. Recent proceedings in Ulster, so far from impressing the imagination or attracting the sympathies of the average citizen, had had precisely the opposite effect. However much one's taste, and even one's common sense, was tempted to take offence at these extravagant manifestations, it was their duty to deal respectfully with a deep-seated and genuine sentiment. He was prepared to consider with an open mind any adjustment of Ulster's position subject-to certain simple governing considerations. These were: —Firstly, nothing should

be done to interfere with the establishment of a subordinate Legislature in Dublin, that being the root principle from .which they could not depart; secondly, nothing should be done to erect a permanent and insuperable bar to Irish unity thirdly, while the ■importance of the extension of' the devolution principle in appropriate forms in L other parts of the kingdom was recognised, Ireland must be first dealt with. He was sanguine that a settlement was not beyond the resources of statesmanship, but one thing was certain: the Government was not going to be false to the trust which -the majority of the Irish had reposed in it.' * ' ', '-..■ , This straightforward declaration will be received with unqualified satisfaction and pleasure by the friends and supporters of the Irish cause throughout the world. ' Next session the Government" will make Home Rule operative. . . We shall not be intimidated by the threat of force. . . If a deliberately enacted statute is met by organised and armed resistance it will clearly be the duty of the Executive assert the authority of tlie law by appropriate and adequate measures. . . The Government is not going to be false to the trust which the majority, of the Irish have reposed in it.' These plain-spoken assurances definitely and finally settle the matter. It was time that some such statement was made; for unbroken silence on the part of the Government was only calculated to encourage the 'Ulster' malcontents to continue their blustering.