HOME RULE BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 12 May 1920, Page 3

HOME RULE BILL

IN THE CQMMiTTE STAGE. (Imperial News Service). (Received this day u:. p.m) •• LONDON, May HU. The Commons lias entered the Committee stage on' the Home Rule Bill. Before the discussion opened, the Chairman ruled out a number of amendments embodying alternative schemes, or the etiqivalent to negatives oi the Bill, but permitted Mr Asquith to move an amendment providing for a single Irish Parliament, with county portion for Ulster, for a limited period of 0 years, on lines of the 1914 Act.. Mr Asquith maintained that the cj u plication of * Parliament's, executives pud. judiciaries gi|VjJ pvpi-y opportunity - for friction. Government's plan had not countenanced any section of Irish opinion ad would not be a stepping stone to Irish unity. Hon. Bonar Law emphatically asserted that Mr Asquith did not realise all that had happened during the last 6 years. While it was true that Irish members had not voted on lliq Government’s Bill, it was equally true that they would have opposed Mr Asquith’s proposals. Ulster’s attitude was that it was an immense advance on 1914. Where as Ulster then insisted on exclusion it now accepted local Government for tlio whole of Ireland. Bonar Law stressed the extent whereto she suffered from tin formed foreign and dominion covenant which a-sks why not let Ireland govern herself. If the Government’s proposal were adopted, we could say to Ireland and the world, we have given you as generous a measure of local Government as wu think possible, on conditions which mean Gmt the moment Irishmen can agree among themselves, that they can have it completely in one Parliament. Government’s object was to make unity easier.

Sir E. Carson regarded the six years proposal as retrograde and impracticable, although he detected the idea of breaking up the Parliament of United Kingdom. Ho pledged himself in the interests of an attempt at peace, that Ulster would do its best in the interests of an attempt at peace. Ulster wquhl do the work of its Parliament if enacted. Mr Asquith’s amendment was defeated by 259 to 55.