THE IRISH SETTLEMENT BILL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 9

THE IRISH SETTLEMENT BILL

LORD LANSDOWNE AND MR. , REDMOND " REPLY TO CRITICISM Australian-New Zealand; Cable Association. (Rirc.' Ju!/ 1-}; 6.5 p.m.) V. '.; . . Londort, July 111. ;.Thß.,Marquisiof, 'in a letter" to the newSpapei s,'; says Kin reference to Mr. John Eedmond\ critlcisrd'fof his epeeoh' in :: the 'House'-' of" Lords) :--"My ' Btatemenfc l ' regan(in£ "' r 'tha : permanent cliaractei!'of 1 certain .provisions :.o£ ; thu '* Ainoriding; Honio "Rule Bill- was not";intended to jgo beyond the' Prime UintV ' ter's declaration in thVflouee ,o{ Commons on July 10, that a union" of sis ' "counties' of Ulster with the rest'o'f'lre- ■ land wiiild r r.ot l>b brought' aboutvvith (? without) the' freewill and consent of the excluded areas.

Durisg the .'coiirse'of• his'spee'ch on. tins Irish-.question a few. days ago, qiiith-" 6aid that 'those 'who' looked' iorward, tft'.a united - Ireland had recognised, that' a union' I would never bo. .effected without .the freewill and assent of the excluded area. ' He- believed that liert>, was a golden: opportunity for an arrangement'which had never before been possible,' : and he appealed to the House' to take advantage of a chance which might never recur. ; It .prodded for., a lasting Settlement. .'Sir Edward Carson said that ho understood :that the six counties had'definitbly: fen eliminated-., ■ Of course, they, could .-be included, by . a :Btll. ':Mr.- Asqnith: '.They cannot bo included -without it." - The machinery would te provided, for the' Government: had included .'tho counties.