The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-18
HOME RULE AND AFTER
by Il. 1. MONKS

What promises to be one of the most
interesting and most memorable sessions
of the British Parliament will begin on
February 10, and particularly so will it be
to the Irish people and to millions of the
Irish race scattered all over the world.
Among the questions that will come be-
fore tho House of Commons none will
rank higher in importance than the Irish
home rule bill which, for the third and
last time, will be introduced and passed.
| and for the third and last time will be
presented to the House of Lords.
For the benefit of those who do not un-
derstand the situation a few words of ey-
PLANTATION are offered. The Parliament
act, more popularity known as the veto
! act, provides: IF any public bill is passed
by the House of Commons in three sue
cessive sessions, and having been sent to
the House of Lords at least one month be-
fore the end of the session, is rejected by
the House of Lords In each of these ses-
sions, that bill shall, on its rejection the
| third time by the House Of Lords, be pre-
scented to his majesty and become an act
of Parliament on the royal assent being
signihed thereto" The home rule bill has
already twice passed the House of Com
rlons has been twice rejected by the
house of Lords, and now being almost
absolutely certain to pass the House of
Commons again. will become an act Of
Parliament If again rejected by the House
of Lords. When King George signs the
bill it will become the law of the land;
Ireland will have won the right to do what
every state in the United States does-to
make laws in her own legislature es-
tablished in Dublin. In due course SIM
liar privilege will be conferred upon Scot
land and Wales and the Parliament at
Westminster will confle itself to inn
perial and constitutional questions, leav-
ing the local legislatures to manage the
affairs of their own country.
To the American this locks such a SEN
sble and practical proposition he won-
dels and asks, Whats the objection to
it?" And he is surprised when told that
there is an objection, violent objec-
tion, SO violent that there are people VINO
theaten revolution, rebellion and civil
war IL the home rule bill becomes law.
hnd these people live IN Ireland and cali
themselves Irish! They speak of them
selves as Ulster and say, I'VE will not
have home rule" when, as matter of
fact, they have no more right to call
themselves "Ulster' than the three tailors
of Tooley street had to call themselves
1--WE, the people of England"
What is this Ulster and who are these
people who are making all this opposf--
llOn. lTeidHu 10 OltlucQ
into four provinces-Leinster. Ulster
Munster and Connaught. There are 80
counties in Ireland, of which ~ consti-
tute the province of Leinster. nine the
province of Ulster, six the province Of
Munster and five the province of Con-
nought Ireland sends JOB members to
the British Parliament, of whom Sc are
home rulers, the other II being unionists
or this II there are two representing Trim
i.y college, q dyed-in-the-wool unionist iri-
stitution, which leaves only Is elected
unlonists from Ireland as against S6 home
rulers. These II unionists constitute the
opposition to home rule, and they say,
I'VE won't have home rule; we'll die
first" and several other declarations of
similar nature followed up by threats
of civil war. 1t SO happens that these Is
elected unionists come from Ulster. out
they make no mention of the fact that
there are 1e home rulers elected from