ULSTER AND HOME RULE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1909, 18 November 1913, Page 7

ULSTER AND HOME RULE.

[ GOVERNMENT OFFERS TERMS TO UNIONIST LEADER. PROPOSAL TO EXCLUDE. FOE A TERM. SOP TO THE NATIONALISTS, >. By Telegraph—Press Association—O&DyriKlit London., November 17. The Government is submitting to Mr. Bonar Law (Leader of the Opposition) a proposal to exclude Ulster from Home Rule for a definite term -of years, and to impose an additional burden on the taxpayers of Great Britain for the purpose of compensating Nationalist Ireland for the temporary loss of Ulster's wealth. ■'ANYTHING SHORT OF AN ALSACELORRAINE." (Rec. November 17, 11.20 p.m.) j London, November 17. Mr. William O'Brien, M.P., and Mr. 5 Timothy Healy, M.P. (Independent Nationalists), speaking at MitchoJltoWn, j said that they were convinced that Mr. Redmond and Mr. Asquitli were considering tho temporary exekaion of Ulster as the price of securing Homo Rule • without an appeal to the country. They urged a conference of the best men of all parties, and predicted that the .result would be to make Homo Rule tolerablo to the Protestants. Mr, Healy added: "We are willing to make any settlement short of creating an Alsace-Lorraine within, the Empire."

OVER Jffi. REDMOND'S HEAD. (Roc. November 17, 11.20 p.m.) London, November 17The newspapers note Mr. Churchill's careful and deliberate distinction between, the claims of tho Nationalists of Ireland, and those of the Protestants of Ulster. The "Daily Graphic" says that the speech _ was virtually an invitation to the unionists to combine with the Liberals and settle the problem over Mr. Redmond's head, LIBERAL OPINION VEERING. London, November 16. At a big Liberal demonstration which was held at Alexandra Palace, Mr. Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, said that there was strong opinion on both sides in favour of a settlement of tho Irish question by consent. There was a strong feeling that the Nationalists should receive weir freedom and tho means and money to make self-govern-ment successful, .while the Prototantg of Ulster should somohow bo satisfied and comforted, and the United Kingdom freed of Old World hates. Mr. Churchill concluded with a strong advocacyof land reform, SPEECH BY Mil. JOHN BURNS, (Rec. November 17, 11.20 p.m.) London* Novembor 17, Mr. John Burns (President of tho. Local Government Board, speaking at Melton Mowbray, said t'nat the Home Rulo Bill gave the minority adequate protection and settled permanently what: Ireland needed, must get, and deserved. There 'was scope and hope for an amicable settlement o-f an ancient wrong and long-needed, act of justice,' to a United Ireland. FEDERAL SYSTEM URGED. (Rec. November 17, 11.20 p.m.) London, November 17. . The Hon. Win. Fielding, ox-Minister for Finance in the Canadian Government, in a letter to the newspapers says that, the Motherland is drifting into a very dangerous position. He ttfgos the establishment;of a Federal system for the United Kingdom as the basis of a conference for all; parties in arriving at a settlement of tho Irish question. H.e is convinced, from long experience in Canada, that no difficulties exist in such a system that cannot he overcome.

Sir Edward Cook, journalist and author, in an artiole in tho "Contemporary Review," for October, recalls a remarkable speech by the late Duke of Devonshire, 20 years in which he said:— "Home Rule' for Ireland might be possible if a consGlfirabte portion of all classes, and mot one class alone, desired it. Home Rule would bo possible if ftll were parties to it, including England and Scotland, as well as Ireland, If all were consenting parties Home Rule might be possible. If its principles and some of its main -details had been, previously submitted to something in tho for® of negotiations or a conference between «*• presentalives of the conflicting interests, Home Rule would be possible after careful study and preparation." "•In 1913," adds Sir Edward, "there is a considerable approach to fulfilment 'of tho conditions-which tho Duke Of Devonshire thus required, and which, ho said, were conspicuously wan-tine in 1893. . . . Agreement by consent would "be advantageous alike to the Ministerialists and to the Opposition; and that if. there' Wore any reasonable chance of a conference resulting in a settlement between all parties (or between wast of them), publio opinion would bear hardly against (he party which made such conference impossible. I have sometimes beefe inclined to wonder whether tho exclusion of Ulster might not have furnished the shortest road in tho long run to Irish union. If tho rest of Ireland obtained self-gov-ernment, how long, I wonder, would Ulster be contented with '■Castle' government? Would it for ever 'regard the maintenance of a 'Belfast Castle' as the Ark of tho Covenant? One result of Lord Loreburn's intervention has been to recall attention to Lord MacDoiinell's solution of the Ulster difficulty. Thero might bo ia system of local administrative selfgovernment in the >, four north-eastern counties whereby they would Tctain control of education, land, and police. If 1 once tho principle pf an Irish Parliament wore accepted, a wide field would be open j for the discussion and' very probably for the attainment of a settlement by con-1 sent."