HOME RULE QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1989, 20 February 1914, Page 7

HOME RULE QUESTION.

SPEECH BY MR. BALFOUR,

" IF HE WERE AN ULSTERMAN,"

By Association-Copyright , ' ~ London, February 18. Mr. A. J. Balfour, speaking at a City Unionist meeting,' said if ho were an Ulsterman he would do as the Ulstermen were doing. "'•.' Tho Government's tinkering was'useless; a clean cut could alone avoid war. They must tell tho Government that this Bill, good or bad, •cannot pass. , . Sir Edward Carson announced that he, had authorised a further expenditure of £70,000 on defence measures. MUTTERINCS OF THE DISTANT CATARACT. WARNING TO THE GOVERNMENT. (Reo. February'l9, 11.15 p.m.) London, February 19, In his speech Mr. Balfour said that tho Bill, which professed to be a complete healing process 'for Ireland, had torn ancient wounds open and Ireland was now in two opposite camps, divided by differences more irreconcilable than ever. The situation was a hopeless entanglement—an inextricable-' mess. The Government; would admit that modification was necessary, but its modifications were unknown and possibly unknowable. He did not believe ihat the Government would willingly throw themselves into armed collision with Ulster. Ho warned them .while : plans were still malleable not to commit the 1 most fatal mistake of the half-measuro of Homo Rule within Homo Rule. "There is," ho said,'"a fixed desire in Ulster not to paralyse the Parliament of Dublin, but to be in tho British Parliament on equal terms with us. Wo are now in the rapids. Even to tho dullest ear, the mutterings of the distant cataract aro audible and unless the Government make a clean cut they will find themselves in a remorseless current and tho ship of State will be dashed to irremediable disaster." .■; . . Sir Edward Carson said they were prepared to sacrifice everything rather than submit.to hateful'rule.' "Nothing under heaven will divert us," ho declared. "It is our fixed determination to remain with you."