A FREE STATE

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1921, Page 5

A FREE STATE

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Dec. 7, 8.15 pjn. London, Dec. 6. In the Irish agreement, entitled “A Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland”, signed on December 6, the first article States: Ireland 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. The second article says: Subject to the provisions hereinafter stated, the position of the Irish State, in relation to the Imperial Parliament, shall be that of Canada. Article three. —A representative of the Crown in Ireland shall be appointed in like manner to the Governor-General of Canada. .The fourth article gives the text of the oath of allegiance agreed upon: “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 V and his heirs and successors, in virtue of the common citizenship of Ireland with Great Britain, and her adherence to membership of the group of nations forming the* British Commonwealth of Nations.” Fifth article.—The Irish Free State shall assume liability of the public debt to the United Kingdom to rhe present date, and the payment of war pensions in such proportion a* may be fair and equitable, the amount being determined, in default of an agreement by arbitration, by independent Citizens of the Empire. COASTAL DEFENCE. Sixth article. —Until an arrangement is made between the British and Irish Governments, whereby the Free State undertakes its own coastal defence, the sea defence of Britain and Ireland shall be undertaken by His Majesty’s Imperial Forces. This does not prevent Ireland maintaining vessels necessary for the protection of revenue and fisheries. This article to be reviewed five years hence, with a view to Ireland undertaking a share of her own coastal defence. Seventh article.—The Government shall afford His Majesty's Imperial Forces in time of peace harbor and other facilities, and, in time of war or strained relations with a foreign Power, such harbor and other facilities as Britain may require for the purposes of defence. Eighth article.—With a view to securing the observance of the principle of international limitation of armaments, if the Irish Go.emment establishes a military defence force rhe establishments thereof shall not exceed such proportion of British establishments as that which the population of Ireland bears to the population of Britain. Ninth article.—The oorts of Britain and the Irish Free State shall be freely open to ships of other countries on payment of the customary port and other dues.

POSITION OF THE NORTE. Tenth article.—The Irish Government agrees to pay fair compensation not less favorable than the Act of 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 the responsibility for such compensation. Eleventh article.—Until the expiration of a month from the passing of an Act of Parliament ratifying the treaty the powers of the Irish Free State shall not be exer-ci-:able 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 in Northern Ireland pass a resolution in favor of holding such elections before the end of the said month. Twelfth article.—lf 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 rhe Government of the Free State shall no longer extend tp Northern Ireland. and the provisions of the Act of 1920. including those relating to the Council of Ireland, shall, so far as they relate So Northern Ireland, continue in full force, provided that if such an 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 determihe in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants, in so far A? they may be compatible with the economic and geographic conditions of the boundaries between Northern and West Ireland ; such boundary applies for the purposes of the 1920 Act, as well as this instrument. Thirteenth article.—For the purposes of the foregoing article the powers of the Parliament of Southern Ireland under the Act of 1920 to elect members to the Council of Ireland shall be exercised by the Parliament of the Free State. Fourteenth article.—lf 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 Stale shall, in Northern Ireland, have in 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 Insland.

IRELAND’S NEW STATUS DOMINION OF THE EMPIRE FULL TEXT OF TREATY ' The treaty between Britain and Ireland gives Ireland the status of a Free State, and she becomes a link in the Empire on equality with th e other Dominions. The oath of allegiance is provided for. The agreement is welcomed by the British Press. The full text of the treaty is published this morning.

Fifteenth article. —Any time hereafter the Government of Northern Ireland and the provisional Government of Southern Ireland, hereinafter constituted, may meet 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 import and export duties affecting the trade and industry of Northern Ireland; (d) safeguards for the minorities of Northern Ireland; (e) settlement of financial relations between Northern Ireland and the Free State; (f) the establishment of powers of local militia in Northern Ireland and the relation of the defence forces of the Free State and Northern Ireland respectively The fifteenth article continues: If at any such meeting provisions are agreed on they shall have effect as if included among the provisions set out in the fourteenth article.

Sixteenth article.—Neither the Parliament of the Free State nor Northern Ireland shall make any law directly or indirectly endowing any religion, or prohibition restricting free exercise thereof, or give any preference or impose disability on account of religious belief or religious status, or affect prejudicially the right of any child to attend a school receiving public money without attending religious instruction at the 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 denomination or educational institution any of its property, except for public utility purposes, and after payment of compensaSOUTHERN PARLIAMENT. Seventeenth article. —As a provisional arrangement for the administration of Southern Ireland during the interval be--1 tween the present time and the constitution of the Parliament and Government of the Free State steps shall be taken forthwith to summon a meeting of members of the Parliament elected for the constituencies of Southern Ireland since the 1920 Act, and constituting a provisional Government. The British Government shall take the steps necessary to transfer to such provisional Government the powers and machinery requisite for 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. Eighteenth article.—This instrument shall be submitted forthwith for the approval of the British Parliament, and by the Irish signatories meeting members elected to sit in the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. If approved it shall be ratified by the necessary legislation. The treaty is signed by Mr. Lloyd George, Lord Birkenhead (Lord Chancellor), Mr. Winston Churchill (Secretary for the Colonies), Sir L. Worthington Evans (Secretary for War), Sir Ham ar Greenwood (Chief Secretary for Ireland), Sir Gordon Hewart (Attorney-General), and Messrs. Arthur Griffith.”, Michael Collins, R. Barton and G. Duffy (the Sinn Fein delegates).—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. NATIONAL SECURITY. EQUALITY WITH DOMINIONS. Received Dec. 7. 10.30 p.m. London. Dec. 7. Mr. Austen Chamberlain, speaking at Birmingham, said the Irish agreement secured all the essential combinations for national security, giving Ireland equality of status with the other nations of which the Empire is composed. He appealed to Ulster to consider carefully the alternative to the acceptance of the settlement.

Ijord Birkenhead, at the same meeting, said he risked everything in his belief and* good faith in the Irish delegates. He added: 44 1 am as certain as my colleagues who met those "men that they will go back ro Ireland taking their lives in their hands to fight their battle, as confidently as I and my colleagues are going to battle on this side.’’ —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. REFERENCE IN THE HOUSE. MR. MASSEY RECEIVES THE TERMS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the House this evening the Prime Minister read a cable received from Mr. Lloyd George, through the GovernorGeneral, giving* the official summary of the details of the terms of the Irish settlement. Commenting briefly thereon, the Prime Minister said he liked this message very much better than the news that reached us through the Press cables. We were a long way from the heart of the Empire, but we should do all we could with all our hearts. He hoped these new laws in Ireland, when they came into operation after being passed by the two Parliaments, would have the effect of making the people in the new Dominion (for that was what Ireland would now become) loyal and contented subjects of the Empire. Mr T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) said he desired to be allowed to support the remarks of the Prime Minister. He rejoiced at the outcome of the negotiations between the representatives of Britain and Ireland, and expressed the opinion that if the Disarmament Conference at Washington succeeded in its object, that and the result of the Irish conference would be a very happy Christmas box for the world. Mr. H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labor Party) said he wished to add his felicitations on behalf of his party. No one would rejoice more than his side of the House that this age-long struggle had come to an end, and that the Irish people now have an opportunity to work out their own destinies in the manner they desire. Replying to a question as to whether he proposed to send the congratulations of New Zealand on the settlement, Mr. Massey indicated that that would be a matter for AQDsideratioa latex.