"TO YOUR TENTS!"

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1862, 23 September 1913, Page 7

"TO YOUR TENTS!"

UNIONISTS' APPEAL FOR ULSTER,

WHAT MAY HAPPEN.

By Tolegrapli—Press Association—Copyright London, September 21. Sir Edward Carson, speaking at Eaßt Antrim, announced that some of tbo greatest generals Lad pledged themselves, if necessary, to liolp Ulstermen to defend" tlielr liberties. Mr. F, E, Smith, M.P., said lie refused to beliovo that tho present Government, however corrupt, would employ an army to march on Ulster, but in such an event, lie declared on behnlf of tho Unionists' Party in Britain, that from that moment they would feel absolved from all allegiance to the Government, and would oay to their followers in England: "To your tents, 0 Israel I"-

OF TWO EVILS. London. September 21. The newspaper ''Observer'-' (Unionist), reverting to the Home Rule Conference proposal, says it is confident that if all attempts at conciliation fail, it would bo possible to forco a General Eloction by persistent obstruction in tho Houses of Lords and Commons; also by Unionists withdrawing from the Territorials, and declining to pay income tax lest payment should contribute to the subjection of Ulster. "Colobsal as would be tho evil of such a situation, which others might imitate in turn, it would," adds the "Observor," "bo a lessor evil than the driving of Ulster into bloodshed."

"A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE." IRISH NATIONALIST WARNING. (Reo. September 22, 10.15 p.m.) London, September 22. Mr. Joseph Devlin (Nationalist member for West Belfast), speaking at North Galway, warned Sir Edmund Carson that civil war would be a dangerous adventure for any man, and it would not bo those who were bluffing the most that would come best, out of the light. Sir Edmund Carson must bear the'responsibility for any evil that ho did to Iroland, just as the Nationalists were prepared to risk thoir lives in tho cause of tho Irish, nationality.

Touching tho propriety of the recent suggestion that His Majesty tho King should exercise his prerogative and veto the Homo Rulo Bill, pending a refemice of tho question to the electors, the London "Spectator" observes The promoters of the mischievous movement for putting pressure upon the ICing to commit a revolutionary act and withhold his assent - to tho Home Rulo Bill (passed according to tho luw of the land) because that Bill is, as wo fully admit, a bad Bill, have at last come into the open and shown how uttorly fallacious aro the grounds upon which their demand rests. Mr. Arnold White's specifio suggestion is to get as large a number of people as ho can to sign the following petition to His Majesty:— "I respectfully ask your Majestv to withhold your Royal Assent to tho Bill to amond the provision for tho Government of Ireland until-after tho electors of the United Kingdom have been consulted."

What is the true significance of this petition? Noto to begin with, that it assumes that tho right of veto still belongs to tho Sovereign, that tho giving .of the Royal Assent to Bills is still a personal and not a merely formal act, and that therefore the King, by signing a Bill like tho Home Rule Bill, upon which tho electors of the United Kingdom had not been consulted, would be acknowledging a personal responsibility for that Bill. We venture to say that a more wrong-headed and dangerous view of the Constitution, and one nioro unfair and prejudioial to the Sovereign, has never been put forward. No responsibility whatever can rest iroon tho King for nssonting to an' Act of Parliament. When he gives such assent, tho Sovereign acts automatically and not personally, and accepts no responsibility whatever for tho contents of tho Bills or for tho conditions under which they are passed. For the contents of Bills the Ministers, who, under tho theory of the Constitution, have advised tho Kinjj to sign, aro wholly resoonsible. Tho King's not 1 ) nro the acts of his Ministers. . . ,

Looking at the matter merely as uolitical tacticians, wo regard proposals which mußt introduce the Kinp a 9 the stupidest as well as tho mast Injurious from tho Unionist point of view that could ■possibly bo made. If ; Mr. Arnold White's petitions wore to succeed, the Government would, of course, resign and stump the country with tho cry, "Aro we to bo ruled by tho King or bv t.ho people?" With Btioh a crv the Liberals would be in clover. All need for answering awkward questions about American Ma.rnonis, Insurance Act dilemmas, ond Home Bulo injustices to England would be et an end. Tho one and only question would be the Constitutional question., Mt. Arnold White's fmp<f<wtion is a patent plan for ruininnr the Unionist nafty at the polls jußt at the moment when otherwise victory would be certain. That is the long and short of the whole matter.