THE IRISH SETTLEMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2366, 10 December 1921, Page 4

THE IRISH SETTLEMENT.

TEXT OF PROVISIONS. '■

London, Dee. 6,

The agreement entitled “A Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland,” signed on Gth December, states: —

Article I.—lreland shall have the same constitutional status in the comity of nations known as the British Empire as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, with a Parliament having powers to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of Ireland, and an Executive responsible to that Parliament, and shall be styled the Irish Free State. '

Article II. —Subject to the provisions hereinafter stated, the position of the Irish State in relation to the Imperial Parliament shall be that of Canada.

Article 111. —The representative of the Crown in Ireland shall be appointed in like manner to the Gov-ernor-General of Canada.

Article IV, gives the oath of allegiance as follows: I do solemnly swear true faith and allegiance to the constitution of the Irish Free State as by law established, and that I will be faithful to George the Fifth, his heirs and successors, in virtue of the common citizenship of Ireland with Great Britain, and her adherence to the membership of the group of nations forming the British Commonwealth of Nations. Article V.—The Irish Free State shall assume liability for the Public Debt to the United Kingdom to the present date,, and the payment of war pensions'in such proportion as may lie fair and equitable, the amount; being determined in default of agreement by arbitration by independent citizens of the Empire.

Article Vl.—Until an arrangement has been made between the British and Irish Governments whereby the Free Slate undertakes her own coastal defence, the sea defence of Britain and Ireland shall he undertaken by His Majesty’s Imperial Forces. This shall not prevent Ireland maintaining vessels necessary for the protection of her revenue and fisheries. This article is to be reviewed five years hence, with a view to Iceland undertaking a share of her own coastal defence. Article VII. —The Irish Government shall afford His Majesty s Imperial Forces in time of peace hathour and other facilities, and in lime of war or with a foreign Power such harbour and other facilities as Britain may require for the purposes of defence. Article Vlll.—With a view lc? securing the observance of the principle of international limitations of armaments, if the Irish Government establishes a military defence force, the establishments thereof shall not. exceed such proportion of the Biitish establishments as that which the population of Ireland bears lo the population of Britain. Article IX. —The ports of Britain and of the Irish Free State shall be freely open to ships of the other country on payment of the customary port and other dues. Article X—The Irish Government, agrees to pay fair compensation, riot less favourable than under the Government of Ireland Act. 1920, to judges, officials, police, and other public servants discharged or retiring in consequence of the change of Government. This agreement does not apply to members of the Auxiliary Police Force or persons recruited in Britain for the Irish Constabulary during the last two years. The British Government assumes responsibility for such compensation.

Article Xl—Until the expiration of n month from the passing of an Act, of Parliament ratifying the Treaty, the powers of the Irish Free State shall not be exercisable in respect to Northern Ireland, and the provisions of the 1920 Act relating to Northern Ireland shall remain in full force. No election shall be held for the return of members to serve in the Parliament of the Free State for constituencies of Northern Ireland unless both Houses of Northern Ireland pass a resolution in favour of holding such elections before the end of the said month. . Article XII. —If before the expiration of the said month both Houses of the Northern Parliament present an address to His Majesty, the powers of the Parliament and the Government of the Free State shall no longer extend to Northern Ireland, and the provisions of the Act of 1920, including those relating to •the Council of Ireland, shall, so far as they relate to Northern Ireland, continue in full force; provided that if such address is presented, a commission of three people, one appointed by the Free State, another by Northern Ireland, and a third, the chairman, appointed by the British Government, shall determine in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants, so far as they may be compatible with the economic and geographic conditions, the boundaries between Northern and the rest of Ireland. Such boundary applies for the purposes of the 1920 Act as well as of this instrument.

Article XIII. —For the purposes of the foregoing article, the powers of the Parliament of Southern Ireland under the Act of 1920 to elebt members of the Council of Ireland shall be exercised by the Parliament of the Free State,

Article XIV. —If no address is presented in a month, the Parliament' and Government of Northern Ireland shall continue to exercise the powers conferred by the 1920 Act, but the Parliament and Government of the. Free State shall in Northern Ireland have ih relation to matters in respect whereof the Parliament of Northern Ireland has

not power to make laws the same powers as in the rest of Ireland, including matters which, under the 1920 Act, are within the jurisdiction of the Council of Ireland. Article XV.—At any time hereafter the Government of Northern Ireland and the Provisional Government of Southern Ireland hereinafter constituted, may iheet for the purposes of discussing provisions, including the following: —(a) Safeguards regarding patronage in Northern Ireland; (b) safeguards regarding the revenue of Northern Ireland;" (c) safeguards regarding the import and export duties affecting the trade and industry of Northern Ireland; (d) safeguards for minorities in Northern Ireland; (e) the settlement of iinancial relations between Northern Ireland and the Free State; (f) the establishment of the powers of the local militia of Northern Ireland and the relation of the defence forces of the Free State and Northern Ireland respectively. If at any such meeting provisions ai’e agreed on, they shall have effect as if included among the provisions set out in the fourteenth article.

Article XVI. —Neither the Parliament of the Free State nor of Northern Ireland shall make any law directly or indirectly endowing any religion or any prohibition restricting the free exercise thereof 1 , or give any preference or impose any disability on account of religious belief or religions status or affect prejudicially the right of any child lo attend a school receiving public money without attending religious instruction at school. The Parliaments shall not make any discrimination respecting State aid between schools under the management of different religious denominations or divert from any religious denominalion or educational -institution any of its property, exeepl for public utility purposes,jand after paymenl of compensation.

Article XVII.—As a provisional arrangement for the administration of Southern Ireland during the interval between the present time and the constitution of; I lie Parliament ami. Government of the Free State, steps shall be taken forthwith lo summon a meeting of members of Parliament elected for constituencies of Southern Ireland since the 1920 Act* and constituting the Provisional Government. The British Government shall take the steps necessary to transfer to such Provisional Government the powers and machinery requisite to the discharge of its duties, provided every member of the Provisional Government shall signify in writing his or her acceptance of this instrument. This arrangement. shall not continue in force longer than a year. Article XVIII.—This instrument shall be submitted forthwith for the approval of the, British Parliament and by the Irish signatories to a meeting of members elected to sit in the House of Commons in Southern Ireland. If approved il shall I*o ratified by the necessary legislation. ’ The treatyis signed by Mr Lloyd George, Lord Birkenhead, Mr Churchill, Sir Worthington Evans, Sir Hamar Greenwood, Sir Gordon Hewart, and Messrs Griffith, Collins, Barton and Duffy.