The Irish standard., 1920-04-17

counties of Northern ireland. Hence
forth it seems Ulster is to mean
delinitation of boundaries to meet
the wishes of Sir Edward Carson re-
gardless of immemorial conventions
and the established rights Of definite
communities. In his speech at Belfast
on last Wednesday Sir Edward tells
US that he has got all he fought for.
This, then. is the secret Of the pro-
longed Cabinet discussions, about
which we have seen so much in the
press. as to the boundaries of the area
to be placed under the Jurisdiction Of
the Northern Parliament.
To Keep ireland In Chronic State Of
Poverty and subjeetion.
What brands the bill more than any
thing else as perpetual Coercion
Act, framed In the interest of Great
Britain and for the purpose of keep
ing Ireland in state Of chronic pow
erty and subsection Is the provision
in regard to trade and commerce.
Here we have q renewal Of the laws
that deprived Ireland of her indus
tries because their existence. told
against the interests OF England. The
commercial section of the community
will estimate at it's proper value that
provision Of the bill which prevents
the so-called Pariiaments from making
laws in regard to trading with any
place out Of the part Of Ireland with.
In their Jurisdiction, merchant ship.
ping. trade marks. merchandise
marks. copyright, patent rights,
weights and measures. ETC." No doubt
these august bodies will be endowed
with the dignided privilege Of making
laws about river ferries. canal tug
boats and other enterprises Of like
standard. With these, I presume, Eng
land thinks Ireland's claim to self
government should be satisfied.
The executive authority may be
briefly said to be vested in the king
or the lord lieutenant or some one
appointed in his place on behalf Of
His Majesty. Where Ireland comes
In it is difficult to discover.
How ireland Will BE Fieeeed.
Eighteen million pounds year are
to form first charge on Irish reve-
nue., and go as 4 free gift to the
British Exchequer till such time as
an English controlled joint exchequer
board thinks we'll to increase or
diminish the impost. A further G19.-
$4,000 are to be taken over by Mr..
Lloyd George for usurping' control Of
all the financial resources Of the coun.
try, customs, excise, post office, in
come tax, ETC., and running Ireland
according to his fancy.
After fleeing the country to the
amount Of es7,65o.0oo per annum.
England reserves to herself in Sec
tion XVIII power to make new
charges on the consolidated funds Of
the impoverished Irish Parliaments,
while she refuses to make any further
grants out of the Consolidated Fund
of the United Kingdom or the local
Loan Funds.
Verify, this Is Ireland in letters,
legislative, executive and financial.
An Official Denial Of tho Right OF
self.0overnment.
From first to last the bill is an In
suit to Nationalist and Catholic Ire
land. It is an official denial of Ire
lands right to self-government. II
sets up an intolerant minority, "alien
In race. alien in religion and alien In
outlook" as Mr.. Lloyd George puts
it. as the arbiters of the destiny o1
the rest Of Ireland. It discriminatef
between the rights Of Catholics and
Protestants In way that shows only
too clearly the unworthy motives thai
actuate its authors. One only needs
to read the bill in order to condemn
1t.
A Call for National Protest.
In my opinion a national meeting
of Irishmen without distinction o
party should be held in Dublin Il
protest against this worst Of all coe1
cion acts, and make known to tn
world the sham that It is. as we'll o
the injustice the British Govern
ment would inflict upon Ireland. !
meeting should also be held In som
81 convenient center in Ulster wher
representatives. Of the. six countie
marked out for sacrifices could Al
II semble and not only protest againe
If the special injustice Of which they ar
"a to be the victims but also arrange 70
II future action.
It may be said that Ireland has sun
; ciently declared herself at the La
Fl Parliamentary and Municipal Ele,
H tions, and that the silent contemI
With which she has treated the bi
il "a. . 40