The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-05-28
IRISH HOME RULE n.
FINALLY ADOPTED:
WAR ANTICIPATED

London, May 26-The Irisb home
rule bill passed its third reading in the
house of commons today by majority
of 78.
The closing scene in the fight for
home rule brought together crowd Of
the chamber to its utmost capacity.
Outside, great crowds gathered to
await the result Of the debate on the
third reading of the bill.
The vote was, for, 352: against, 27d.
The house was seething with ex-
citement from the moment the speaker
took the chair. Members of the various
parties INDUCED, in loud outbursts Of
cheering when their respective
champions entered the chamber while
at the same time mocking banter was
shouted from the opposite benches.
End Came Suddenly.
The end of the hard fought struggle
came quite suddenly the unionists re-
fusing to debate the bill without in
Formation as to the governments in
tention in regard TO the proposed
amending measure. Premier Asquith
lifted corner of the veil, but though
Andrew Bonar Law leader of the OPP
position, admitted that the premier's
words were conciliatory but he
FASTENED to add that Mr.. Asquith had
not told them anything. To discuss the
third reading under the circumstances,
would, he said, be futile and ridiculous.
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 gov
ernment 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
a farce" ..a9
The Right Hon. James Lowther, the
speaker, appealed to the premier TO give
the house some information regarding
the bill to be introduced after the pas
sage, of the Irish home rule bill for the
amendment of that measure so as to
meet some of the objections Of the peo-
pie of Ulster.
In response to the speakers plea
Premier Asquith announced the
amending bill would give Sffect to any
agreement which the government was
still hopeful might be reached. He said
II at the time of the introduction OF the
Irish home rule bill to the house of
lords Ii such agreement mad been
reached the amending bill would en-
body the substance OF the proposals
outlined by him on March 8, in the
hope that after discussion an agree
ment might be secured. S.. ~. 49,.
The measure il now safe after third
reading. for IL IL be before the house
OF lords for one month, then IL may by
agreement be postponed for some
weeks. but IL necessary II can be put
Immediately on the statute books. The
government, therefore, in order to save
the bin. must remain in office for one
month. tu
Whether II remains or whether ii be
defeated, whether II resolves to COM
tinue in existence till next year or pre-
fers to go to the country at once. would
not then matter. for the month would
have placed the home rule bill on the
statute book.
Why Asquith Is Cautious.
1t has thus become vital issue be-
tween the government and Tory opinion
whether the government can last this
month or not, but the government must
remain in office for a month, unless In
one contingency, and that contingency
the government is doing its best to
avoid.
All that is needed TO precipitate that
contingency is that Asquith, as war
minister, should give orders to the
army and that the army should refuse
to obey Refusal OF the army to obey
Asquith, who Is at once prime minister
and war secretary, would be such a
challenge TO the authority or the e1ecp-
tive and the parliament that IL woiMd
be difficult not to take II up imme-
diately and present ID at once for de-
cisicn by the people,
In other words, refusal OF the army
to obey might compel an immediate
general election. Asquith has no rea-
son TO fear general election. especially
on such tremendous issue as the army
against the parliament, and nobody
doubts that on that issue he would re-
turn with an overwhelming majority.
But Asquith does not want to- pur-
case this big electoral advantage at
the price of sacrificing the home rule
bill Just as It is about to become law,
and thus being compelled TO go through
three years more Of weary struggle un-
der the parliament act to get the bill
TO che same position as 1t now has
reached.