MR. ASQUITH'S CONCESSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2004, 11 March 1914, Page 6

MR. ASQUITH'S CONCESSIONS.

The British Prime Minister has at last made a definite statement regarding the alterations which the Government is prepared to jiiafce in the Home Rule scheme... in the hope Of conciliating Ulster and removing tho peril of civil war. He lays down as a foundation principle that any settlement mast involve tire establishment of α-n Irish Parliament, but ho is prepared to concede Special treatment to Ulster which would go further than the safeguards provided in the present Bill. The proposal now pnt forward is that Ulster shall have an opportunity of deciding fov itself whether it shall be excluded from tho' jurisdiction of tho Parliament which is to be sot up in Dublin, and its opinion will be ascertained by mesas of a poll pi the elector? which ia k? be taken before the Home Rule scheme corares into force, If exclusion should -be decided tipoßj it will be given a six yeai's' trial, and before 'tlie. end of that period the electors of the United Kingdom will be asked to cfctide whether it shall continue or not. In She meantime, the people of Ulster are to have representation in tho Imperial Parliajneiifc It is impossible at present to say whether iUit, Asqsniii'S offer will be accepted by the Unionist Partv as a whole, or by the Ulster leaders, Sin, BdtfAit Law holds that the Unionists cannot accept the new proposals uiitil they have been c&nfifmed by an appeal to the people, and Sik Edward Carson declares- that he will not summon --an Ulster Convention to consider tlie Government's swjgestwns for & settlement unless tiro six years' time limit is removed. Oii the other hand, M'lt. EKpsifiso, the leader of tho Nationalist Party, states that the very limit of', concession has Liecft reached. As regards the objections raised to the time limit, he expresses the l conviction that loftg ■■ before the six .years have passed ..the. Irish Parliament Willhave given such an exhibition ©J' tol.era.fit g«rrenimU!»fc : that suspicion will bo disaimvsd; It would certainly be a great satisfaction'to the whole Empire if a settlement by .consent eoald fatt arrived at which "woul-d put an end to this long and bitter controversy without imperilling tfe unity and safety of tho'Empirc, jt is now very widely recognised that sonio alteratioßs in the goveriuoeivb of the United Kingdom aw ineyitable, though fee is pm differ-* en-eo of opinion, as to* the manner in which .the Constitution should bo Ho one regards the &x(rlu* sion of Ulster as an idea-1 sokitian of the Irish preblefl?, but, .in- the circumstances, it appears to be tho inost acceptable, way put ef the difficulty. In the eorivso of time a more Consistent and workable scheme may he devised, but for the present nil concerned must rest eontefit- with the best compromise- attain able in order to avoid a national disaster. Tho result of Mβ, AsQtHTir's latest proposals will be awaited with flic prtaiest interest throughout tho British Empire;