THE IRISH ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 June 1921, Page 5

THE IRISH ELECTIONS.

REFUSAL TO WORK ACT. EMERGENCY PROVIDED FOR. The nomination without opposition of the 128 members required for the South ern Parliament of Ireland obviates a contested election in the South. The return of a large Sinn Fein bloc had been expected. Mr. John Dillon, chairman of the Irish Nationalist Party, in a recent manifesto advising the Nationalists not to participate in the Southern elections, said that they could only enter the contests as opponents of the Sinn Fein, which was using the whole of its organisation to obtain a solid block. This would inevitably lead to bitterness, and possibly to disorder and bloodshed. Though still irreconcilably opposed to the Republican programme and methods, it would be impossible for the Nationalists in the present circumstances in Ireland to oppose them at the elections without being charged 7 with supporting the Black and Tan Auxiliaries and Sir Hamar Greenwood’s policy of brute force, which the Government adopted against the advice of the Nationalists.

The next event, as far as the South is concerned, will be the summoning of the new Parliament, which the Act stipulates must take place on or before December 2, 1921. The Sinn Feiners have announced on several occasions their intention not to sit in the new Parliament. To meet such ,a refusal to work the Act provision has been made in the following manner:—The members of each Parliament before they sit as members will be required to take the usual oath of allegiance, such as is administered in the New Zealand Parliament, or a solemn affirmation to the same effect. If a majority of the total members of the House of Co hi mo ns of either Southern Ireland or Northern Ireland fail to take this oath within 14 days after the date fixed for the first meeting of the Parliament, then it will be assumed that Southern Ireland or Northern Ireland, as the case may be, is not willing to accept the Act, and thereupon the Parliament will be dissolved and its pla ?e will be taken by a Legislative Assembly appointed by the King, and the Government of Southern Ireland or Northern Ireland will be administered by the Lord Lieutenant, with the assistance of a committee of members of the Privy Council of Ireland, appointed for the purpose by the King. It is provided that the failure of one part of Ireland will not affect the operation of the Act in the other part of Ireland, except in so far as it will postpone the possibility of the establishment of a united parliament and Government for the whole of Ireland.

In the case of Northern Ireland, which for the purposes of the Act, consists of the counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone, and the boroughs of Belfast and Londonderry, a contested election is involved.

The election will be conducted according to the principle of proportional re presentation, as would have been the ease also in Southern Ireland in the event of a contest. Fifty-two members are to be elected to the Northern Parliament, comprising 16 from Belfast, 32 from the six counties, including the. borough of Londonderry, and four from Queen’s University of Belfast. As in the case of tire Southern Parliament, the Northern Parliament must be summoned to meet on or before December 2.

The present representation of Ireland in the United Kingdom House of Commons is to be reduced from 105 members to 4G, but this reduction is not to be effected before the next dissolution of the United Kingdom Parliament.