The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-05-30
THE STORY or IT'S FINAL PAS
SAGE THROUGH THE HOUSE OF
COMMONS COMMENT BY JOHN
REDMoND-No LIKELIHOOD OF
EARLY GENERAL ELECTION.

REDMoND-No LIKELIHOOD OF
EARLY GENERAL ELECTION.
The Irish Home Rule bill was pass
ed by the House of Commons on Mon
day, May 25.
It was the third enactment of Home
Rule by the Commons, and, by the veto
act, the measure will become a law,
even though it be rejected by the
House of Lords.
The vote was 351 for and 274 against
Home Rule. The division was strictly
political one and the vote was prac-
tically the same as on the last enact
ment of the measure with the excep-
ton of the few votes gained by the
Unionists in the recent by-elections.
The quick vote on Home Rule at the
demand of the Unionists came as a
surprise to the public, who early in
the day flocked to Westminster and
crowded the galleries in anticipation
of vigorous, old-time debate.
1t was believed that the opposition
was planning an outburst of disorder
that would force a dissolution of par
| lament and compel the government
| to go to the people with the Home
Rule question.
The House was seething with excite
ment from the moment the speaker,
the Right Honorable J. w. Lowther,
took the chair. Members of the vari-
GUS 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.
Speaker Lowther appealed to Pre-
mier Asquith to give the House some
information regarding the bill to be in
troduced, after, the passage of the
Irish Home Rule Bill, for the amend
ment of that measure, so as to meet
some of the objections made by the
people of Ulster.
Premier Asquith announced that the
amending bill would give effect to any
agreement which the government was
still hopeful might be reached. He said
that if, at the time of the introduction
of the Irish Home Rule bill in the
House of Lords, no such agreement
had been reached, the amended bill
would embody the substance of the
proposals outlined by him on March
9, in the hope that, after discussion, an
agreement might be secured.
AoI5
the House of Commons that, before
the bill became operative, poll would
be taken of the parliamentary electors
of each county in Ulster to decide
whether those counties should be ex-
cluded from the provisions of the Irish
Home Rule bill for period of six
years from the first meeting of the
new Irish parliament. If the majority
of the voters were in favor of the
scheme that county would automat
ically be excluded for the prescribed
period.
John E. Redmond, the Irish Nation
alist leader, in statement issued after
the vote had been taken, said the
division in the House of Commons was
equivalent to the passage of the Home
Rule bill into law, and expressed the
earnest hope that the Obstetrics, "whc
are genuinely nervous as to their posi-
ton, will abandon unreasonable de
mands and enter into a conciliatory
discussion with their fellow country
men with regard to the points of the
bill upon which they desire further
safeguards.
"Today's division" continued Mr.
Redmond, marks the death after al
inglorious history of the ia years o
the union of Pitt and Castlereagh
It's place is to be taken by &
new union founded on mutual respect
and good will between the two
islands,
Concerning the amending bill, Mr.
Redmond said:
; IF it contains the terms of an agree
ment whereby some of our fellow
countrymen in the North, who are nov
; dissatisfied and nervous about the flu
; ture, will be conciliated, and does no
: outrage the fundamental principles O
the Home Rule settlement, / am con
vinced that every Nationalist in Ire
, land will rejoice
!, Mr.. Redmond concluded with tn,
statement that he sees no likelihood o
an early general election