WHAT WILL THE LORDS DO?

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2156, 23 May 1914, Page 4

WHAT WILL THE LORDS DO?

! The .Home link Bill is responsible ! for another exciting skim in the House of Commons, which shows that great uncertainty still exists as to the possibility of Si settlement bv commit Mil Asquith is still vary reticent as to the contents of the amending Bill, his latest statement being that the main Bill, will establish Home Kuto for three parts of Ireland, and the new proposals will give Ulster a chance of saying whether it would he prepared to* enter the now system. Ho does not | seem to have given any further ini formation as to the six years" limit, I nor does_ he say whether the present | scheme is to be modified so as to make it fit in with a federal system | of government for the United Kingdom, Me. Asquith remarked that j after the Bill has been discussed by the House of Lords, it will come back ■ to the House of Caramons for the l last word. The probable attitude of [ the Lords to the measure has been I the subject of much discussion, for some time past. If they reject it right out it may still become law in accordance with the provisions of the Parliament, Act. They'have already rejected the- Bill twice, bat on tiro present occasion they may take a less drastic course, and may amend the measure by_ definitely excluding Ulster, and in other ways make it less objectionable from the Unionist poinfc_6f view, The Spectator thinks that in order to avoid the arbitrament of civil war, the House of Lords should fit "a safety-valve to a very badly-designed engine." In taking this course, the Lords would throw the very grave responsibility of rejecting (heir amendments on the Government and its supporters in the House of Commons, nnd if serious conserjiMmcos resulted the electors would bo able to place the blame

on Iho right shoulders. If the Government dolilxii-a-tciy rejected an offer that would have the effect of o»anting the possibility of civil war in ~'ic uluii 't-would find it extremely difficult to justify its action at the hay of public opinion. The Lords Will no doubt, l)o urged by the more uncompromising action of Ihe Unionists to take the bold fours* of rejecting the Bill, but the Spectator contends that precedent is-cloariv in favour of allowing the second reading "if their object is not .to gain a party advantage, or to con- [ serve their own privileges and interests, but to save the cotmtrv from revolutionary evils." Tliov cannot S' l »t their eyes to the fact'that the ■am can be passed aver their beads under the Parliament Act. and manv Lnionists feel that it would bo a I mistake not to make.use of this last. | opportunity by suggesting the terms of a reasonable compromise, 'flic amending Bill has. of course, also to be considered, and no doubt the Lords would like to know its exact contents before coming to ia final'decision as to their attitude towards the principal measure. They arc undoubtedly face to face with an extremely difficult situation, which calls for the exercise of the highest statesmanship.