Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-04-25
PARLIAMENT
The Home RulI Bill VIII Soon
Enter Upon Its Third
Stage.
Carson Left Severely Alone to
Pursue His Campaign in
Ulster.
Discussion Now Centers on Date
For British General
Election.
RESTING BEFORE FINAL BATTLE

All Ministries make some con-
cession to Parliamentary human
nature by putting down for the first
days of the House of Commons after
the brief vacation such business as
does not excite party passion, and
therefore does not require large
attendance. 1t is impossible there
fore, cables Hon. T. u. O'Connor,
NJ. P., to report either any advance
or any decline in attempts to reach
settlement on the home rule bill
All British leaders have been silent
and Sir Edward Carson has been let
severely alone to pursue his cam
paign in Ulster. Carson's speeches
have grown, il anything, in violence,
and fairly imposing demonstrations
of his volunteers continue, but some
how or other these things, in spite
Of every attempt of the English Tory
Journals to boom them by lengthy
descriptions, produce the effect OF
back numbers, no longer seriously
counting as factors that control the
home rule situation. The determin-
alton that some settlement be
reached and be over and done with
the whole Irish question, remains
universal and is stronger outside
than inside Parliament. Tory men,
bers not tied to the chariot wheels
of either Carson or Bonar Law are
still working on federation as
solution of the difficulty, but for the
moment it must be acknowledged
that there is a complete pause and
we must await the filling up of the
House of Commons next week before
we again return to effective negotia-
tions.
Meantime the chief subject of
discussion and rumor in British
journals is whether we shall have a
general election this year or not. II
is impossible under these conditions
to pronounce any certain judgment
on prospects for the future, though
speeches by Carson and some out
pouring from the die-hardJ would
point to a hardening of the situation
among the Tories. 1t is quite un-
certain, even to the Tories them
selves, what their final attitude will
be. Balfour remains one of the
most enigmatic figures, but the
general impression is that he means
mischief, and will quietly but ef-
fectively interfere to upset any COM
promise that may be hopeful II he
takes this attitude the whole Tory
party may resolve to refuse AS
quith's concessions and have the bill
rejected on second reading by the
- 0a1a nd hNC m
Asquith to pass the measure as 1t
stands without any concessions
whatever to Ulster and leave the
Liberal Ministry face to face with
the difficulty of dealing with the
Ulster volunteers by drastic military
action.
II such counsels prevail it must
mean that the Tories are ready to
face the prospect of some bloodshed
in Ulster in the hope that even a
small loss of life may produce an
outburst of ultra-Protestant feeling
in Great Britain, and thereby wreck
the Government and home rule, but
| persist in believing that public
opinion and powerful personalities
will continue to exercise such ef-
fective pressure toward settlement
as will defeat these designs. Then
when we approach the final stages
the programme will follow what I
have consistently foreshadowed-
namely. the passage of the bill by
the House of Lords on second read
ing, then the introduction of Carson
ite amendments, then the rejection
OF these amendments by the House
Of Commons, then more haggling
with the passage Of the bill into law
by the end OF July.
Coupled with this issue OF home
rule is the exact date of the next
general election. For some weeks
the impression was strong that the
Ministry would be ready to give an
immediate general election after the
passage of home rule as an addi-
tional concession to the Tories and
to test the opinion OF the country
as to the measure, but this proposal
Is complicated by the plural voting
bill. The rank and file of Liberals
especially In the country. would
resent bitterly the disappointment
OF their hopes for the removal oi
this intolerable grievance OF one
rich man getting twenty votes more
easily than twenty poor men gettinl
one. The Ministry would have Il
face fierce resentment and disap'
pointment II they left office before
they had remedied this condition.