The Irish standard., 1918-04-20

lists, would not agree, but the southern
unionists and the Nationalists were
willing, in order that an Irish parlia-
ment be established, to postpone legis.
lative decision ON the question.
II recognize" writes Sir Horace,
that action in parliament on the re-
suit of our deliberations must largely
depend upon public opinion" adding,
that the work of an Irish settlement
is now felt to admit of no further post
ponement. In the dominions and the
United States as we'll as the other
allied countries, the unsettled Irish
question is disturbing factor, both
as regards to war effort and peace
aims"
Senate to Represent lnterestst.
The scheme of the majority, as de-
scribed in the chairman's letter, pro-
vides for establishment of parliament
for the whole of Ireland with an execu-
tive responsible to it, and with full
powers over all internal legislation,
administration and direct taxation.
Pending decision of the fiscal question,
it is provided that imposition of duties
and excise shall remain with the i'm
perial parliament, but that the whole
of the proceeds of these taxes shall be
paid to the Irish exchequer.
A joint exchequer board would be
set up to determine the Irish true
revenue, and Ireland would be repre-
sented upon the board of customs and
excise of the United Kingdom. Irish
representatives in the imperial parlia-
ment would be elected by the Irish
parliament, instead of directly by con-
stituencies.
The Irish parliament would consist
OF two houses, a senate of sixty-four
members and a house of commons of
200. The principle underlying the
| composition of the senate is represen-
tation of interests. This would be ef-
fected by giving representation to COM
meFee, industry and labor, county coun-
ellis churches, learned institutions and
peerage.
Sir Horace remarks that in consti-
tuting the house of commons, the Ma
tionalists offered to guarantee 40 per
cent of it's membership to the Union
lists. He adds that it was agreed that
in the south Of Ireland adequate rep
resentation for Unionists could only
be secured by nomination, but las Uls-
| ter's representatives had informed the
convention that those for whom they
| spoke could not accept the principle of
nomination provision was made in the
scheme for extra representation of Uls-
ter by direct election"
Minority reports were adopted both
by Ulster Unionists and minority Ma
tionalists. In explaining the report as
adopted by the majority, Sir Horace
says:
Ulster Insisted on Exclusion.
THE public is thus provided with no
majority report in the sense of a
reasoned statement in favor of the con-
| clusions upon which the majority are
| agreed, but it is left to gather from
the narrative Of the proceedings what
the contents of such report would have
been. On the other hand, both Ulster
Unionists and the minority of Nation
alists have presented minority reports
covering the whole field of the conven-
tion's inquiry. The result of this pro-
cedure is to minimize the agreement
reached and emphasize the disagree
ment."
Neither time nor effort, continues
the chairman, were spared to attain
| unanimity There was, however," he
continues, "a portion of Ulster where
majority claimed that if Ireland had
| the right to separate herself from the
rest of the United Kingdom, they had
the same right of separation from the
rest of Ireland. But the time had gone
by when any other section of the Irish
people would accept partition of their
| country, even as temporary expedi-
ent.
Hence the Ulster Unionist members
of the convention remained there only
in hope that some form of home rule
would be proposed which might modify
the determination of those they repre-
| sented to have neither part nor lot in
an Irish parliament The NatiOnalists
strove to win them by concession. but
they found themselves unable to ac-
cept any of the schemes discussed,
and the only scheme of Irish govern
ment they presented to the convention
was confined to the exclusion of their
entire province.
Imperial Customs Rates Insisted On.
'Long before the hope of complete
unanimity had passed, the majority of
the convention were considering the
possibilities of an agreement between
the Nationalists and southern Union
lists Lord Middleton was the first to
make a concrete proposal to this end.
The report shows that in November he
outlined to the grand committee and
in December brought before the con-
vention what looked like a workable
compromise. IT accepted self-goyern-
ment for Ireland.
CONTINUED on page 81