GAUNTLET THROWN DOWN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1892, 29 October 1913, Page 7

GAUNTLET THROWN DOWN.

IN HOME RULE FIGHT. PUBLIC ANGER RISING IN ULSTER. CRISIS DRAWING NEAR. By Telegraph—Pross Aesociatlon— Copyright (Rec. October 28, 11.45 p.m.) London, October 23. Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of Stat© for Foreign Affairs, speaking at Berwick, said that unless the House of Commons was relieved of Irish, Scottish, and English domestic business it would become incapablo to transact Em-, pire business. He added that if Home Rule was resisted by violence the resistance must be mot by violence. I Tho Irish question, said tlio speaker, was tlio most critical question in Home i affairs. Home llul© had not l)6cn taken up as a political necessity, but because tlio country was sick and tired of the attempt to govern Ireland coercively. Homo Rulo was essential on purely practical grounds, if the House of Commons was to be saved from destruction as tlio Imperial authority. Tlio settlement of Ulster's objections by consent would.not be jnado easier by threats of civil war, which wore detestable and abominable. He thought troublo could be avoided, and oiignt to be avoided, but that depended on Ulster and tho Conservatives. "It, as Ulster says, Homo Rule is to it a matter of life and death," said Sir Edward, "it is also a- matter of life and death to the House of Commons to manage Irish affairs under existing conditions. If Ulster feared oppression under Homo Rule, and got exclusion, the position would bo moro precarious for Unionists residing in other parts of Ireland An agreement, ho added, should be possible. Ho suggested that homo rulo within Ilomo Rulo was possible. It consistent with the maintaining of unity ho would givo ono part autonomy over education, police, and similar mattois. "Times"—Sydney "Sun" Special Cables. London, October 27. Belfast is increasingly incensed oyer Mr. Asquith's speech. The Unionist leaders arc unable to chock the discontent with what is regarded as a wicked, treacherous betrayal. Tho volunteers now number ono hundred thousand men, and it is expected that twenty thousand moro will jom immediately. . . . Captain Craig (Unionist M,P. tor Down), in a speech, said-that Mr. Asquith had thrown over his pledge not to sond British regiments against Ulster. "Wo will," declared tho captain, "stand by our covenant without fear and without'counting tlio cost. Tho "Times," in si leader, declares that it is afraid Mr. Asquith's spcech ' has brought tho day of troublo perceptibly nearer. The only course now to avert possiblo disaster is an early appeal to tho country.

RUMOURED EXCHANGE OF . VIEWS. (Rec. October 28, 11.30 p.m.) • London, October 28. The "Daily Chronicle" states that no direct communication has passed between Ministers and the Opposition over tho Ulster question, but at tiio suggestion of an exalted personage _ a memorandum lias been drafted by J>l*. Asquitli and his principal colleagues. Tho same course was. followed by Air. JSonar Law and Lord' Lansdowno, and tho memoranda wore then exchanged.