THE IRISH PEACE AGREEMENT.
ULSTER AND FREE STATE TO CO-OPERATE. FAR-REACHING PROVISIONS. UNITY or NORTH AND SOUTH TO BE SOUGHT. 05, C*bl»— PrM» Association—Copyright.) (Auistnli&Q ted N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, March 30. The Irish Conference roadbed an agreement to co-operate for the restoration of peace. In the House of Commons, Mr Winston Churchill announced the terms of the Irish agreement. Clausa 1 of the agreement reads that peace as from to-day is declared. Clause 2 provides that from to-day the respective Governments undertake to co-operate in every way, with a view to the restoration of peace in tlhe unsettled districts of Ireland.
Clause 3 sets out that special polio© are to be appointed in the mixed population districts, the force to be composed half of Roman Catholics and half of Protestants, the recruits be:ng chosen by a special advisory committee. All police on duty, except those on secret service, are to be in uniform and officially numbered. Any search for arms to be carried out by police parties composed half of Roman Catholics and half of Protestants, the military authorities rendering any necessary assistance.
Trial Without Juries. Clause 4 states that a Court is to be constituted for the trial without juries of all persons charged with serious orimes. The Court ia to consist of the Irish Chief Justice and one of the Lords of Appeal. The Government of Northern Irouind is to pass the necessary legislation giving effect to this. Intimidation of Ulster. Clause 5 provides for a committee, composed of eyual numbers of Protestants and Roman Catlholics, to sit at Belfast to investigate complaints recarding intimidation and outrages. Tho local Press is to be «skpd to insert such reports of disturbances as may be communicated by the Committee. Clause 6 provides that Irish Republican Army activity is to cease in the six counties, and thereupon a special police force is to be organised for tho six oounties outside Belfast, similar tr> that iu Belfast. The Boundary Problem. Clause 7 provides that immediately following the passage of the Bill framing the Constitution of the Irish Free State, before tihe address in accordance* with Article 12 is presented to the Crown, there shall be a further meeting of the signatories to this agreement to ascertain whether means can be devised to secure the unity of Ireland, and. failing this, whether an agreement can be arrived at on the boundary question otherwise tlhan by a Boundary Commission.
Clause 8: The return home of persons expelled from their districts is to be secured- 'by the respective Governments, tlhe advice of tho Committee set up under Clause 5 to be sought in case of difficulty. British Vote for Belief Works. Clause 9: In view of the special conditions consequent on the political situation in Belfast and its neighbourhood, the British Government will submit to Parliament a vote not exceeding £600,000 for the Ministry of Labour in Nortlhern Ireland, this sum to expended exclusively on relief work, one-third for the benefit of Roman Catholics and two-thirds for Protestants. The Northern Protestants agree to use every effort to secure the restoration of expelled workmen, but wherever this is impracticable owing to the industrial depression, the workmen will be afforded employment on relief works to the extent to which one-third of tlhe £500,000 will allow. Protestant exServicemen will be given first preference in respect of two-thirds of the fund. Clause 10 provides that the respective Governments shall arrange for the release of political prisoners, but no offence committed after March 316t shall be open for consideration. Clause 11 provides that the two Irish Governments shall unite in appealing to all concerned to refrain from inflammatory speeches, and exercise restraint in the interests of peace.
[Article 12 of the Irish Free State Treaty is as follows: If before the expiration of the said month both Houses of the Northern Parliament present an address to his Majesty, the powers of the Parliament and Government of the Free State shall no longer extend to Northern Ireland, and the provisions of the Act of 1920, including those relating to the Council of Ireland Bhall, so far as they relate to Northern Ireland, continue in full force; provided if such address be presented, a commission of three people, one appointed by the Free State, another by Northern Ireland) and a third, the chairman, appointed by the British Government, shall determine in accordance, with the wishes of the inhabitants, so far as they may be compatible witn economic and geographic conditions, the boundaries between Northern and the rest of Ireland, Such boundary applies t 0 purposes of the 1920 Act, as well as this instrument.] THE TREATY BILL. (Received March 3let, 7.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 30. In the House of Commons, Mr Austen Chamberlain said consideration of the House of Lords amendments in the Irish Free State (Amendment) Bill would bo further postponed. He was not without hope that the Iriah Conference would produce results materially conducing to peaoe. Sir Winston Churchill hoped to make a full statement on the subject on Friday. BOYCOTT OF ULSTER. INTIMIDATION OF TRADERS. LONDON, March 30. Notices have been posted at Tralee that the boycott against Belfast and other parts of the six-county area will be more rigorously enforced. Traders receiving goods are declared liable to a fine of _ £IOO for the first offence, and confiscation of goods on subsequent offences. Incendiaries caused enormous damage in Belfast, destroying large premises m Great George street and North street. NEWSPAPER OFFICE WRECKED. REPUBLICAN. REBELS' OUTBAGE IN DUBLIN. LONDON, March 30. Armed and disguised men entered the offices of the "Freeman's Journal" in Dublin after midnight. They seized the departments, turned
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out the staffs, demolished the machinery, smashed the telegraph instruments, and set the building on fire. The fire brigade arrived promptly and confined the flames to the rear of the building, so that little damage was caused by fire, but the destruction of the machinery was extensive. Details show that the raid was carried out by 200 rebels, who arrived in motor-cars. The paper was issued as a small sheet to-day. It states, editoritally:— "What Sir Hamar Greenwood, General Sir _ Nevil Macready, and General Strickland, the British Army auxiliaries, and the Black and Tans failed to do, the Beceding section of the I.R.A. has done. The 'Freeman's Journal,' which has fought for Irish liberty so long ; will not bo silenced, nor will the Irish people be terrorised out of their rights. They have fought for freedom, not for the rule of mutinous bullies."
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Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17419, 1 April 1922, Page 11
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1,091THE IRISH PEACE AGREEMENT. Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17419, 1 April 1922, Page 11
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