Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-05-30
Regains Her Parliament After a
Struggle Lasting Over
Century.
william O'Brien and His Fol-
lowers Abstained From
Voting.
STATEMENT ISSUED BY REDMOND

BY vote OF 351 to 274-a
majority of seventy-seven - the
House of Commons passed the home
rule bill. Under the provisions of the
Parliament act the bill becomes law
after this stage, as it had already
twice passed through all it's stages
in the House of Commons in two
separate sessions, and the veto Of the
House of Lords therefore has no fur
ther effect. When the bill was sent
up to the House of Lords 1t was &C
companied by a group of jubilant
Nationalists, who escorted the Off
cial bearer of the bill and sang GOD
Save Ireland" The House of Lords
afterward formally read the bill a
first time.
The end of the hard fought strug-
gle came suddenly, the Unionists re-
fusing to debate the bill without
further information as to the Gov
ernment's intentions in regard to the
proposed amending measure. Bonar
Law, leader of the opposition, in
timated an appeal to the country was
not far off and added LET the cur
tain ring down on this contemplate
farce. It is only the end of an act
and not of the play. The Govern
ment can carry the bill through
Parliament, but the concluding act
of the drama will be in the country,
where an appeal to the people will
not end in farce"
Premier Asquith defended the
Government against the charge of
ignoring the rights of the minority
and explained that he was introduc-
ing an amending bill not because he
thought that the Irish home rule
measure was bad or imperfect, but
because he was anxious for peace.
The vote was then taken and the an
nounceemnt of the figures brought
out great demonstration by the
Nationalists and the liberals They
rose from their seats, cheering and
waving hats and handkerchiefs. The
division was taken strictly on party
lines. The followers of William
O'Brien abstained from voting,
O'Brien expressing the view that
1.-The Premier's action was not
straight dealing either with England
or Ireland"
John E. Redmond, the Irish Ma
tionalist leader, in a stateemnt says
the division in the House of Com
mons is equivalent to the passage of
the home rule bill into law, and ex-
presses the earnest hope that the
Ulsterites, who are genuinely
nervous as to their position, will
abandon unreasonable demands and
enter into a conciliatory discussion
with their fellow countrymen with
regard to the points of the bill upon
which they desire further safe
guards. Today's division" says
Redmond, marks the death after an
inglorious history of the ia years
of the union of Pitt and Castlereagh.
It's place is to be taken by a new
union founded on mutual respect and
good will between the two islands. 4"
Proceeding the Nationalist leader de-
elares that only two eventualities,
both of them impossible, could pre-
vent the bill from becoming a
statute within a few weeks-the
first. that the Parliamentary session
should come to an abrupt end; the
second, that the House of Commons
should suddenly go mad and decide
not to submit the bill for royal as
sent-both as absurd contingencies
as the suggestion that the King
would withhold his assent.
Mr.. Redmond continues: 81 say on
behalf of the Nationalists of Ireland
that we desire their cooperation and
friendship, and appeal to them TO
join hands with us in making the
home rule settlement one to insure
the prosperity and freedom OF all
classes in the country"
Concerning the amending bill,
Redmond says: "If IT contains the
terms of an agreement whereby some
of our fellow countrymen in the
North, who are now dissatisfied and
nervous about the future, will be
conciliated and does not outrage the
fundamental principles of the home
rule settlement / am convinced that
every Nationalist in Ireland will re-
joice. II the amending bill does not
contain such an agreement | see no
prospect of II becoming a law. In
any case, failing an agreement, the
Irish party have made II plain that
their hands are free to deal with any
proposals that may be made. The
great thing for us TO remember Is
that, amending bill or no amending
bill, home rule is now practically an
act of Parliament"
Now that the home rule bill has
been passed. public interest has
shifted and concentrated on Ulster
province. The big question OF the
hour is: what will Ulster do now
that the home rule bill has been
-. -
guaranteeing the exclusion OF Ulster
from its provisions?" II Sir Edward
Carson. Capt. James Craig and other
leaders OF the anti-home rule
Orangemen put into execution the
threats they have made and reiter-
ated during the last few months
civil war will follow In the North OF
Ireland.
Dispatches say that peace and
quiet reigns throughout Ireland. the