Home Rule

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 213, 9 March 1914, Page 5

Home Rule

THE KING TAKKS A HAND. FIRST TIMF. IX MODFRX IfISTORV. HITTER AN!) CXCOXCKALED RESF.NTAIICXT. By Cubic—Press A s,jc'ation—Copyright l.cjiulcin, Alarch (i. Jt is nimori'il Hi:". i..e King liiis intervened in regard to Ihe Home Rule Hill. The report, was :it first, dismissed a.-, imrediu.e, lint it is now universally currem. among politicians and is generally accepted as (rue that his Majesty insisted en a genera, election to immediately follow tile passing of the measure. It is said thai the King informed Mr. Asquith that if this course were not voluntarily pursued his Majesty would exercise his prerogative and (lis solve Parliament. The report caused bitter and unconcealed resentment ir. Liberal circles ut such a step, it being the first time in modern history that the Crown has been in direct conllict with the critical stage through which national politics are now passing. LORD ROBERTS' APPEAL. XOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY. EXCLUDIXG KECAM.iTRAXT COUNTIES. London, March (i. The public refuses to take seriously the appeal Lord Huberts and other prominent men have issued on behalf of Ulster. It is pointed out that the signatories have wholly destroyed the force of their declaration by the insertion of a. clause that by signing the document no man pledges himself to take any particular action which his conscience or judgment do not approYC. Referring to the signatories, the Daily Chronicle remarks that most of them are men vary eminent in their different non-political spheres, 'but they show, not for the first time, that singular puerility of political vision to which intolerant political men are greatly prone. Such men—indeed, many of the same men—made precisely a similar exhibition four years ago over Mr. Lloyd George's Budget, which they denounced as the end of all things, yet most of them have contrived to live tolerably well ever since. The Radical press accepts as authore tativo a statement that Wednesday's Cabinet meeting decided to offer any Irish county wishing to exclude itself from Home Rule the right to do so foi three years by popular vote. THE IRISH PLEBISCITE. AIR. ASQITJ'II'S OLIVE BRANCH. Received 8, 5.5 p.m. London, March 7. Mr. Asquith is expected to offer the plebiscite to all the counties in Ireland. This is attributed to his desire to satisfy the Nationalists, and give an appearance of uniformity; and nominally that no special treatment is being accorded IJlster. The. Union Defence League has received application forms for a million signatures to the British declaration. LOCAL OPTION PROPOSALS. MR. LLOYD-GEORGE AS MEDIATOR. Received 9, 12.50 a.m. London, March 8. The newspapers continue to affirm that Mr. Asquith is determined that every Irish county shall decide by a referendum whether it will remain outside the jurisdiction of the Irish Parliament for five years. . It is expected that Mr. Bonur Law and Mr. Redmond will follow Air. Asquith to-morrow, and the debate will then be adjourned for a fortnight. It is understood that (Mr. LloydGeorge conducted the negotiations with the Irish Party, and that Messrs. Redmond, Devlin, and O'Connor reluctantly agreed that Antrim, Down, Londonderry, and Armagh should certainly be contracted out of the Bill. Nationalist majorities in Tyrone and Fermanagh will be small, but sure.