The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-04-18
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DEBATE ON HOME RULE.

if there be such outbreaks, force
must be used (Cheers.) We shall
be meeting force by force. We shall
not have been the first to use it. We
have had very frank admission from
the Leader of the Opposition that if
there was a case of a Protestant ma
jority anywhere breaking out upon a
Catholic minority, the full forces of
the Crown must be used. (Hear,
hear.) On that we are agreed. We
are told that the moment the Bill is
placed on the Statute Book, a year
before it can possibly come into ope-
ration, year before there can be any
Dublin Parliament or Dublin EXecu-
tive to resist, year before there can
be any question of using force to com
pei Ulster to submit to the operation
of the Bill, there is to be a provision
al Government set up in Ulster. What
is that provisional Government going
to do? Is it really going to take over
the government of Ulster? If so, it is
going to defy not Dublin Parlia-
ment, but the Imperial Parliament. If
it is going to seize the Customs, seize
the Revenues, generally take over the
whole administration, and turn out the
officers who are now lawfully carrying
it on, then of course force must be
used. There is no escape from it
(Cheers) If, on the other hand, it is
going to be sort of voluntary asso.
citation for doing it's best to keep the
peace between the different sections
in Ulster, then it very little matters
But if it be really set up to take the
place of the existing Imperial Govern.
ment, then obviously there can be no
question that force must be used
(Cheers.)
No Coercion Before an Election.
II wish to be perfectly clear as to
what the Army may be called upon
to do. There can be no question un-
til after the election-it is practically
impossible under the Parliament Act
of force being used to coerce Ulster
to submit to the Bill. But if in the
interval before that arises, election or
not, there is disturbance of peace and
order in Ulster and an attempt to
usurp the Government of the country
by the Imperial Parliament, then, of
course, the Army must be called upon
not to use all it's force, but to do what
is always very disagreeable neces-
sity for the Army, whether it be in
Great Britain or in any part of the
Empire-to use such force as may be
necessary to uphold the authority of
the Crown and to preserve order
Clear, hear)
II said that 1 would not touch more
largely than the Right Honorable gen.
tleman has touched upon what we
have discussed in recent days. But
surely, if an election had been forced
last week, we should have been
brought to the brink of something
where the Irish question and the VI
ster question would have disappeared
before much larger issues. CHEERS
If ever it really comes to be the case
that the Army or any large section of
the Army takes active sides between
the political parties in this country,
the country will be face to face with
a question more serious and grave
than it has known for three centuries.
(Cheers.) If ever there is to be a
question who is to govern in this coun-
try-whether it is to be the civil au.
thority, the recognized Government
and Parliament, that is to govern and
decide policy alone, or whether it is
to be interfered with-then I take my
stand strongly with everything that
was said last week even from the La
bour benches with regard to what the
feeling of the country would be-
(Cheers.) But would fain avoid any
such catastrophe as an election taken
on that issue. | would like to take
the new Army Order which has been
issued, and the fact of the Prime Min,
ister's having taken the War Office as
a reason for closing on both sides of
the House the criticisms and censures
which have been made either upon
the fact that questions were put to
officers or that officers put questions
to representatives of the Government
The new Army Order starts on the
assumption that the putting of certain
questions may have been the origin of
all the trouble. If that be so, then !
think Honorable members opposite
who realize the strength of feeling
that has been aroused might we'll be
prepared, if Honorable members on
this side of the House are also so pre-
pared, to take what has happened as
passing no censure upon anybody and
as giving every one who has been
concerned in this business and the
fair start. ,(Cheers.) Should it turn
out to be SO, we may yet escape the
issue which seemed to be raised last
week. l trust that what l have said
may have removed some misunder-
standing as to demands likely to be
made on the Army and what our view
of the duty of the Army is. But there
is and can be no misunderstanding as
to the length that things must go
and as to the depth of the feeling
there will be if the forecast ven
tured to put before the House of a
fair start in this matter is not realized
and if we have reopened by any Incl
dents which may occur the grave
questions which were opened by the
incidents of last week. Depend upon
it, the next election must then be