The Irish standard., 1914-03-21
BILL FAST AP!
PR0ACH|kG CLIMAX.
Many Believe Force of Opposition
is Exhausted
Refusal to Accept Government
Terms Brings Halt in Progress
Government Will Make no Further
Concessions to Ulster M

| Mr.. Asquith's speech in answer tn
the Tory demand for the immediate
announcement of the proposed conces.
sions in connection with the Home
Rule bill, has had clarifying effect
on the situation. 1t has put the Gov.
ernment supporters into good humor,
and correspondingly depressed the op.
position. The suggestions are to be
put forward on the second reading Of
the Home Rule bill, which will be-
before Easter, and, meantime, the
premier has pledged himself and the
Government that there will be mo
hoisting of the white flag" and mo
| betrayal of a great cause" What the
proposals will be, and whether they
Will prove acceptable to the Carsonites
Is matter for conjecture Mr.. Gar.
win, In the observer" takes a very
gloomy view of the situation. and sees
no hope of an agreement. If this in.
formation be correct. the Unionists
Will have to choose between submis-
sion and forcing a general election.
In few words, Mr.. Garvin, who GER
tainly ought to know what is passing
in the inner circles of Unionism, puts
the case thus: The Carsonite de.
mand Is for the exclusion of six III.
ster counties, although it is question.
able whether Belfast Unionist con.
ventfon would accept that, or anything
but general election, as an alterna-is
tive to civil war; that mo result but
complete failure is expected from Mr..
Asquith's coming suggestions;'" that.
III both exclusion and election are re-.
fused" Ulster must actually mobi.
lize," and the Unionists in Parliament
must force general election; that
the Government will carry the bill
through to the statute book in spite
OF the peers, who will again refuse
1t second reading; that we shall
nave a general election in June or
thereabouts, with ulster" in arms:
and that, if the Tories win, ulster"
(six counties) will be excluded bv an
amending act. Now, the special point
TO notice about Mr.. Garvin's outlook
Is that it includes the passing of the
Home Rule bill as it stands, It is
very remarkable that, in this. his fore.
cast, is in agreement with that of
| Mr.. Ronald McNeill, NJ. p, one of the
leading Carsonites, in the "Times."
Mr.. McNeill also refers to the impos-
sibilty of the peers giving the bill a
second reading, after twice rejecting
1t, and discusses the possibility of
an amending act" once the Home
Rule bill becomes law, or concurrent.
ly with its becoming law. At any
rate, both these Unionist authorities
appear to agree that the Home Rule
bill will go through as it stands.
Unionist Tactics.
The tactics of the Unionsts in irving
to intimidate the House Of Commons
by threats to Smash the Parliament.
! tary machine" in Mr.. Bonar Laws
characteristic phrase, by action liable
| to create scenes" in the Chamber.
and to turn the House into bear-gar-
den, have not SO far succeeded. The
proceedings in the Chamber are far
| too dull and prosaic for Mr.. Garyin.
who says that "a whole party cannot
reduce itself, in one of the greatest of
crises. to the role of Job on the dung.
hill" and who tells Unionists that
they must make some effort" They
did make some effort" last session.
and the result was not satisfactory 4
from their point of view. That there
is the disposition amongst them to og
make further efforts" there is no
reason to doubt. But that such tactics
In the Chamber, on the one hand, and
the mobilization of Ulster" on the
other, would help the Unionist party
is anything but foregone conclusion.
What would help Unionism, however,
would be any departure of any Sec.
tion OF the Irish people from the at
titude of patience and self-restraint.
which they have maintained until now, II
and which has been of such inesti.)s,
mable service to the cause of Home
Rule in Great Britain. The Irish peo.
pie are too good politicians to play
into the hands of their opponents.
and the Irish party faces the most
critical stages Of the Home Rule stsug2
gle stronger than ever In the con1s Il
dence of q united. disciplined.
loyal Irish people. ,t.ns, is5 "
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