The Irish standard., 1912-02-24
THE J.. |. |. AND THE
HOME RULE BILL
Twelfth Annual Meeting of Board
of Directors Held in Dublin,
February 9TH.
Mr.. Joseph Devlin, General Secre-
tary, Submits Report Bearing on
it's General Achievements.
Congratulates Irish Party on the
Success of Fight in Behalf of
Self-Government.

The twelfth annual meeting of the
National Directory OF the United Irish
League was held in Dublin February
Z. Many distinguished members were
present, among them being Messrs.
Redmond, Dillon, Devlin. A report
was submitted by the General Secre-
tary, Mr.. Devlin. in which the pur-
poses and the achievements of the
League are briefly outlined. 1t calls
attention to the benefits derived from
the Act Of 1909, in securing the pass
age of which the League was instru-
mental. The securing Of suitable
homes for workers is another feature
of the Leagues activities in which it
has been eminently successful. Other
ends for the attainment it has worked
are the housing of town workers, the
prevention of famine, financial re-
form, university education, extension
of Irish industries, the spread Of the
Irish language, the securing of trade
union wages for laborers. But the
one great object for which the League
is working at the present time is the
securing of Il Home Rule bill. On
this point the report comments as
follows: e., -....--.. ...s-..-
"The first object which the League
set before itself was to obtain full
national self government for Ireland,
which is the demand that the Irish
people have put forward consistently
and persistently ever since the Act Of
Union. Every succeeding years ex-
periencc of government Of Ireland
from Westminster has demonstrated
more forcibly that the so-callcd Un-
ion is q failure, and that only the con-
cession to Ireland OF the right to man.
age her own internal affairs in a ma
tive Parliament can afford Il final and
a satisfactory settlement of the Anglo
Irish difficulty, and change u system
which has been the curse of Ireland
and the shame OF England for one
which will establish peace and good
OF mutual trust and confidence. The
first condition of obtaining the rccog-
milton of this claim in tho n.aintcn-
arce of d united and independent Irish
representation at Westminster, sup
ported by a powerful and disciplined
organization in Ireland, and this con-
dition has been fulfilled in all essen
tials during the past ten years. At
three General Elections ireland re-
turned an undiminishcd Home Rule
representation, and the verdict of tho
constituencies of the Three Kingdoms
placed a party pledged to Home Rule
in power. The attempt to satisfy tho
proved impossible by the rejection Of
the Irish Council Bill of 1906. and to-
day a Government is in power with a
clear mandate from the electors to
concedc full self-governmcnt to Ire
land. This concession will be embod-
led in the Bill which the Government
will introduce in n few weeks time,
and there is every reason to hope that,
whatever the House of Lords may do,
and despite all opposition, the Bill
will become law within the lifetime Of
the present Parliament"
In conclusion the report sums up
the situation in these words:
But, perhaps, the greatest achieve
ment of the Party has been the en-
actmcnt OF the Parliament Bill, by
which the power Of the House Of
Lords to veto bills passed by the
House of Commons has been abol-
ished. and the way opened for the en-
actment of the Home Rule bill, wheth-
er the House of Lords opposes it or
not. The carrying Of this great re-
form would have been impossible
Party.
| It is a record Of achievement with
out parallel in the history of con-
| stitutional agitation. 1t has all been
effected in the face OF The most vio-
lent and persistent opposition of the
Ulster Unionist Party and their fac
ZIONIST allies in 1re!g !gnd. and 1T has