HOME RULE CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2001, 7 March 1914, Page 5

HOME RULE CRISIS.

BILL IN THE COMMONS. NATIONALISTS ACCEPT CONCESSIONS. BANK GOVERNOR'S WARNING. By Telegraph-Press Assodation-Copyriirlrt London, March 5. Mr. Birroll, Chief Secretary for Ireland, has introduced tlio Homo Rule Bill in tho House of Commons. . Tho Bill, was received with loud Ministerial and Nationalist cheers.

Mr, Asquith informed Mr. Bonar Law tiiat tho Government's proposed amendments to tho Bill will be ready for circulation on Tuesday.

Thero- is little doubt that Mr. Asquith's Homo Rule proposals will have Mr. Redmond's concurrence, though there aro some Ministerialist fears of the attitude of tho Nationalist Convention if called on to sanction tho changes. Lord Dunraven, in a letter to the Press, says that a fair chance of settlement is only obtainable by referring Mr. Asquith's proposals to a conference, as suggested by Lord Loreburn. Coorcion is impossible, and the exclusion of Ulster unthinkable. A general election would bo useless as a solution.

Lord Hugh Cecil, in a. letter, says that tho difficulty in the way of a conference is insuperable. Ho draws an analogy between General Botha's action in South "Africa and possible ' happenings in Ireland as oreating two centres of sovereignty, He says that nobody will deny that tho deportations were altogether indefensible. Nobody can be blind to the outrageous scandal of tho infliction of pcrpotual exile-by retrospective enactment. The truo sovereignty lies with the South African Parliament and General Botha, not with the British Crown, Such would bo the consequences of Home Rule,

NATIONALISTS' "UST WORD," EFFECT ON' BRITISH FINANCE. (Roc. March 6, 10.55 p.m.) ■ London, March 6. Significance is attached to the- hurried visit of Mr. Joseph Dovliii, Nationalist M.P. for Belfast AVest, to % Roman Catholio Bishops of Raphoe and Derry Mr. Devlin is strongly opposed to any modification of the Horned Rulo Bill.

Mr. T. P. O'Connor, M.P., writing in "Reynolds' Weekly." says it would not be candid to say that tho Nationalists had uot found it hard to agree to the concessions tho Government was about to offer. They were only able to accept, them after anxious and prolonged reflection, in'the hope that to do so would bring peace. What had been done represented tho last word of the Nationalists. >'.:•.

Tho "Daily. Telegraph" says the Governor of the Bank of England lias conveyed the directors' views to Mr. Lloyd George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, that any civil turmoil in Ireland would seriously affect the British finances. It i 6 stated that it is unusual for tho Bank to take this courso unless its opinion is sought.

GOVERNMENT SPIES. ULSTER VOLUNTEERS CLOSELY ■■ ■''■.',. WATCHED.' '■' "Times" <ind 'Bjines..'!BmV. Sprviccs.,, ~■ ': 'V'.CRec .'.". Londqp, March 6. •An extensive system of. espionage is being maintained on thojeld manoeur vres_ qf the Ulster 'volunteer .force." A big staff of special men from the' Criminal Investigation Department aud the Irish' Constabularly is spread throughout Ulster, showing that the movement is causing eoncern to the Viceroy.' ■ .

Tho eagerness to sign tho declaration against the coercion of Ulster has overtaken tho.capacity 'of tho existing organisation to copo with it. Lord Southampton has offered to obtain ten thousand signatures.