FIRST PREMIERS OF IRELAND

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 149, 19 March 1921, Page 10

FIRST PREMIERS OF IRELAND

SIR HAMAR GREENWOOD EXPLAINS.

"It is hoped that the first Irish Prime Ministers will be welcomed by the Dominion Premiers at the Imperial Conference in London in June as new partners in the British Commonwealth," said Sir Hamar Greenwood, Chief Secretary for Ireland, in a special statement to "The Weekly Dispatch." "The Dominion Premiers would be glad, to welcome them.

"The general election for the Southern and Northern Parliaments of Ireland within the new few months is the greatest event in. modern Irish history,” Sir Hamar continued: "There are 128 members to be elected for the Southern Hous© of Commons and 52 for the Northern. "If 04, or one-half, of the elected members for Southern Ireland take th© oath of allegiance to the King the Southern House is constituted. If more than onehalf refuse, what is commonly called Crown Colony Government is set up, and Southern Ireland will be governed by a nominated Committee and Legislative Council. This will not affect the Northern Parliament, which will 'bo set up and will assume the Government of Northern Ireland in any event. "In the normal course, the Lord Lieutenant will call upon someone in each Parliament to fodm a Government. This means a Prime Minister and Cabinet for the Southern Parliament and a Prime Minister and Cabinet for the North. In my opinion, these new Irish Governments will be stern economists. "North and South will have its own judiciary. I believe the first Chief Justice of Ulster will bo a Roman Catholic. This is a hopeful sign.”