THE IRISH BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1922, Page 5

THE IRISH BILL.

DEBATE IN THE COMMONS, ANGRY PASSAGES. UNIONISTS AGOEESSIVE. TREATY ATTACKED. ®y Teiagraph.—Press Assn.—■ Copyright. Received March 3, 9.20 p.m. London, March 2. lrish Treaty Bill was taken in Committee in the House of Commons to-day. Colonel J. Gretton (CoalitionUnionist) moved to omit the word “treaty” from the Bill, as a treaty could only be made between high contracting Powers or independent States; the Crown could not constitutionally make a treaty with subjects of the ftown. Mr. Winston Churchill resisted the ■amendment. The expression “treaty,” he said, had become the foundation of the political party in Ireland who were ■ooibating the republic. Colonel J. C. Wedgwood (Labor) said the Labor Party was convinced that the treaty had been made with the Irish Republic, and it was useless - for the Government to try to evade the issue by alleging that the words were paereiy formal. The Attorney-General (Sir Gordon Bewart) said he did not consider this BU occasion for constitutional pedantry. Sir F. Banbury (Coalition-Unionist) moved an amendment defining the treaty as between Britain and Southern Ireland and not the whole of Ireland. Mr. Churchill, in refusing to accept the amendment, said that if it were carried the Bill would be dead and the treaty would be dead, and so would the ISovernment be dead. “If,” he said, “I tan asked why we decline to insert the words Southern Ireland I would say it k because we are negotiating with men Who, rightly or wrongly, we decided to consider as representing the Irish natdon.” There were loud Ulster cries at this Stage, of “traitor” and “sit down,” followed by considerable uproar. Continuing, Mr. Churchill said there Were provisions in the Bill which enabled Ulster to contract herself out of (he arrangement if necessary. The Government, as signatories to the trsaty, were in honor bound to go through with it. (Cheers). The debate then took an ugly turn, and the “diehards,” Undaunted by Mr. Lloyd George’s threat of resignation, attacked the Government. Mr. Ronald McNeil (Coalition-Union-fst) passionately charged the Premier prith dishonorable conduct and of conferring with malefactors. Lord Hugh Cecil (Coalition-Unionist) gibed at Ministers as being fearful they would be left by their Irish coadjutors with a derelict treaty, which they would have to sell for what it would fetch in English constituencies. “Though we know,” he said, “that the treaty cannot be killed, we wish the Governpnent was as dead as mutton.” Sir F. Banbury’s amendment was rejected by 254 votes to 64. —Aus.-NX Cable Amu.