HOME RULE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1803, 16 July 1913, Page 7

HOME RULE BILL.

DEBATE IN THE LORDS. NEW UNIONIST AMENDMENT MOVED. ULSTER'S RESISTANCE. TeleeraDh—Pre«s Association—Cosvrichi (Rec. July 15, 10.55 p.m.) London, July 15. Tho struggle the Homo . Rule Bill reaohed a further stage yesterday, when tho measure oamo up for its second reading in tho House of Lords. The Bill, it will be remembered, was rejected by tho Peers on January 30 last by 326 votes to 69. Lord Crewe, lord Privy Seal, in moving the second reading of the Bill, dwelt on the pleas for a conference to which no response had come from tho Leader of tho Opposition. The Government had never pretended that tho present Bill was tho only kind of Home Rule Bill that the House ought to be asked to consider, but there was no basis for a. conferenco so long as the Irish minority supported by tho Unionists decided to do everything to prevent t.ho establishment of any Irish Legislature. The only alternative was to pass the Bill under tho Parliament Act. Lord Lansdowne, Loader of tho Opposition in the House, then moved' the amendment, of which he had given notice: "That the House declines to consider the Bill until it has been submitted to the judgment of the country." In addressing tho House, Lord Lansdowno said that in his view the recent by-elections did not augur favourably for the Bill. He urged its reference to the country, and pointed out that if tho Government won the Bill would still remain under the Parliament Act. If it lost, it would be saved from a stupendous blunder. Lord Lansdowne added: "We are ready to abide by tho country's decision. As Ulster's grim determination had been regarded as a mere myth, it had been suggested that the Unionists of Ulster might inscribe on their banner the words which Cleopatra had ad-, dressed to Antony at a critical moment in licr fortunes, namely: 'You do not know me. yet.' " (Opposition cheers.) The Duke of Abercorn, in his maiden speech, said he, as an Ulsterman, had been proud to sign the Covenant. Ulster, absolutely refused to submit to Home Rule until she was compelled to do so by force of arms. Lord Cholmsford said tho Bill ought not to be passed till a direct vote of the people had been taken on it. He enforced his arguments by referring to Australia, whero no constitutional change was possiblo without a. previous referendum. Lord Bcauchamp declared that Lord Lansdowne's reference to a general election was a notable contribution to tho discussion. If it meant that in the event of an election resulting in favour of the Bill, tho Unionists would withdraw their support of Ulster's opposition. Other Unionist peers also warned tho Government of the gravity of tho threatened' crisis. The debate was adjourned. "A DIRTY GAME," WARLIKE TALK IN ULSTER. (Sydney "Sun," Special—July 15, G. 55 p.m.) London, July 15. Sir Edward Carson, tho Irish Unionist leader, in a speech at Belfast, said he was sick of tho dirty gains now being played at Westminster, whero a million and a half Protestants wero being sold for eighty votes. Tho Government was also faying to make Ulster a pawn in tho gamo. Tli,? Bishop of Deny, in prcaching at Belfast Cathedral on the text, "He that hath no sword, lot him sell his garment and buy one," said tho question was how England, in casting them off, had acquired the right of imposing tho yoke of an alien race and tho tyranny of a Church which had persecuted them in the past.