FAMILY COUNCIL

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 104, 16 June 1916, Page 3

FAMILY COUNCIL

TO SETTLE IRISH QUESTION IMPERIAL CONFERENCE HOME RULE IN THE MEANTIME An official report of the meeting of the Irish party, held in Dublin has been issued. Mr Redmond. Leader of the Nationalist party,, stated that at the first meeting of the Cabinet, after Mr Asquith Tiad visited Ireland, Ministers unanimously asked Mr Lloyd George to undertake a settlement of the Mr Lloyd George, after consulting all the parties, formulated the proposals as follow: — (1) To bring the Home Rule Act into immediate operation. (2) To introduce immediately an amending bill as a strictly war emergency Act. (3) Irish members to remain at Westminster during the Avar. (-[) Six Ulster counties to be left under the Imperial Government for the period of the war. (5) Immediately after the war an Im-

perial conference of representatives of all the Dominions to be held to consider the future government of the Empire, including the government of Ireland. (6) Immediately after the Imperial conference, and during the interval provided by the War Emergency Act, a permanent settlement of all great outstanding problems to bo proceeded with. The meeting resolved to protest earnestly against the continuance of martial law, and to demand that prisoners undergoing terms of penal servitude in connection with the rising should be treated as prisoners of war. A resolution was also carried stating that tlie personnel of the commission inquiring

into th f > causes of the revolt does not command the confidence of the Irish people, and that the method of conducting inquiries will deprive the findings of J all authority. : As previously reported, the meeting ; accepted Mr Lloyd George's scheme, Dublin Nationalists welcome the idea j of r. court of overseas umpires to settle '•he Irish Question, believing that if Eng land and Ulster were inclined to take advantage of Nationalist Ireland, overseas opinion would prevent it. Mr Redmond has announced that arrangements have been completed for a conference of representative Nationalists 'from Ulster. If they approve Mr Lloyd George's proposals, Nationalists in the southern provinces will be consulted The London 'Daily Chronicle' states that the Nationalist members of the House of Commons have suspended judgment on Mr Lloyd George's proposals, which will be submitted to a conference of Nationalist representatives from Leinster, Munster, and Connaught. The newspaper continues: "We devoutly hope that Nationalist opinion will accept the proposals. It will be an immense step to have an Irish Government in Dublin. Mr Lloyd George has shown a wise instinct in

linking a permanent Irish settlement ' with that of the future government of I the Empire. Under the existing system ■ Britain is able to commit the Empire fo i a world war without deigning to iu- ! form, far less consult, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa. i Such an anomaly cannot continue. One !of the most urgent of after-war pro- \ blems is the task of re-shaping the Imperial Government. That will be the work of the Imperial Conference, which by accomplishing it, may solve the Ulster problem and the problem of r.lws | Second Chamber/'