The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-05-30
home. RULE FOR IRELAND.
BY MAJORITY OF u MEASURE
GOES THROUGH COMMONS
ON FINAL TEST.
Irish Leader Asserts That Days Di-
vision in Lower Body Means That
Only "Absurd Contingencies" Can
Prevent its Becoming a Law.

Prevent its Becoming a Law.
London, May 25.-Home rule for
Ireland today became practically GER
tain, it was believed by supporters of
the measure. The house Of commons
this afternoon, on division, passed the
measure, 351 to 274.
John Il. Redmond, the Irish Ma
tionalist leader, in statement said
that the action Of the commons was
equivalent to the passage of the bill
into law.
Two eventualities, both of which
the Nationalist leader deemed impos-
sible, could prevent the bill from be-
coming law, he said. These were
that the parliamentary session should
come to an abrupt end or that the
commons should suddenly go mad and
decide not to submit the bill for royal
assent.
BY a vote of 351 to 274-a majority
Of 1.-THE house of commons this af-
ternoon passed the home rule bill.
The end of the hard struggle came
quite suddenly, the Unionists refusing
to debate the bin without further in
formation as to the governments in
tention in regard to the proposed
amending measure.
Premier Asquith lifted a corner of
the veil. but though Andrew Bonar
Law, leader Of the opposition, admit
ted that the premiers words were
lconciliatory. he fastened TO add that
Mr.. Asquith had not told them any
thing. He added: LET the curtain
ring down on this contemplate farce.
1t is only the end of an act and not
of the play. The government can
carry the bill through parliament,
but the concluding act of the drama
will be in the couriry. Here an ap-
IpealPsto the people wllf ,not ends,in q
farce"
The Right Hon. James Lowther, the
day Of applying balm to the sores left
by the violent incidents Of Thursday
last. He frankly admitted that he
should not have used the expression
he did when he asked Andrew Bonar
Law, leader Of the opposition, whether
he approved of the disorderly demon
stration by the Unionist members. The
speaker appealed to the premier to
give the house some information re-
garding the bill to be introduced after
the passage of the Irish home rule bill
for the amendment Of that measure
so as to meet some of the objections
Of the people of Ulster.
In response to the speakers plea
Premier Asquith announced that the
amending bill would give effect to any
agreement WIZ ch the government was
still hopeful might be reached He
said that If, at the time of the in
PRODUCTION of the Irish home bill to
the house of lords. no such agree
ment had been reached the amending
bill would embody the substance cf
the proposal outlined by him on
March in the hope that after
discussion an agreement might be Sc
cured.
On March 9 Premier Asquith told
the house Of commons that before the |
bill became operative a poll would be
taken Of the parliamentary electors Of
each county of Ulster to decide
whether those counties should be ex-
cluded from the provisions of the
Irish home rule bill for a period of six
years from the first meeting Of the
new Irish parliament. If the major
ity of the voters were in favor of the
scheme the county would automatical-
ly be excluded for the prescribed pc
riod.