CABLEGRAMS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 May 1916, Page 3

CABLEGRAMS

Lulls liiiiKtrHAi'll —LUt'iiiiGllTc i'is.iX I'H.k.ba AoaUCiAiiUXS.j ill'. txOJSi. 11. H. JUS'.'I1' lEti liilSH EXECUTIONS. lu the House 01 Commons, d.scussing Hie Irish question, Mr Asqmth ompnuisised tho Government'a derive to allay bitterness and to appe..i to a gi eater tooling of sympathy between all parties. Intmite mischief would, ho said, bo done by a word calculated, to obstruct or impair tile chance oi a happy and desirable consummation. It way quite true that nine out oi ten Irishmen were on the aide oi the .aw, but when wo remembered thu/t . tie casualties of the military and /i« population were 1315 including 304 kiiLed, our sympathies ought to De en- , tirely monopolised by the unlortunxte l victims of this misguided, unhappy, J criminal insurrection. Mr Asquith explained the principal death sentences, j He Raid: five out oi tlie seven oliot had signed the proclamation of revolt. : Seven others commanded the rebels. A i third class consisted of murderers < whereof only one had suffered, death. ' The sentences of two other signatories to the proclamation had been .onfirmed whereof one took a most active part in the rebellion. it would be unfair to accord these men preferential treatment as their me comrades had been properly executed. Tlioie- ; •fore he could not see wny he suoild ' interfere with General Maxwell's dt>- 3 cieion. As far as he knew tliere was no resort to the extreme penalty m other cases unless in those ol murder, when the trial would be in open court. I Mr Asquitli'6 dramatic aonounoement that he himself was going to | Ireland took the sting out ol tho attack on the Government. The n- i cident recalled his sensational deci- i sion to take 'over the Uar Office at the time of the Ulster trouble. -Mr Asquith agreed that a great body of the insurgent® had fousfit bravely and had; conducted themselves with humanity contrasting most favourably with our civilised in the field. He said: postion in Ireland is 6n:tis>factot y. We have the greatest confidence in General Maxwell's discretion to conduct a delicite difficult jurisdiction. Ireland cannot remain under martial law." Mr Asquith came to the conclusion rhat it was his duty to go to Ireland without dielay, not to supersede the executive. but to consult with the civil and military ordeß(. He said he would arrive at arrangements for the future, which would commend themselves to the general sense of Irisß \and other parties in the House.