HOME RULE BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 5 June 1920, Page 3

HOME RULE BILL

AN AMENDMENT VETOED

(Australian & N.Z. Cable Association) UEUTER.J

(Received This Day at 8 a.m.) ■LONDON, June. 2In the Cowmens on the Home Rule Rill Captain Coote moved the omission 0 f the provision reserving to the Imperial control, the armed forces of tl f e Crown. Ho suggested, “If we give the Irish parliaments control of the armed forces, tilings will come to such a pass that Irishmen will be compelled to unite.”. Hon. Long said, the fact that additional troops were still being dispatched to Ireland proved the determination of the Government to do everything to restore order. Ex-service men in Ireland were being hounded out of the country hy Sinn Feiners, yet it was proposed in the amendment to transfer to Sinn Feiners control of the aimed forces. There was no comparison between Ireland and the Dominions on this point and any attempt to hand over the military forces to the Irish ■Parliament ought to he resisted to the uttermost. Sir E. Carson opposed the amendment and appealed to Government to modify the Bill with a view of delegating certain specific powers to the Irish Parliament which ought to be enlarged .in the future while real strength and power was left to the Imperial parliament. He believed, moreover, that ' the Bill would lead to separation and said the people of Ulster were complaining that Government was kicking them ' out. ■ The state of things in the south and and west was hideous and disgracefill to the British Government. The amendment was negatived without division.