New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-12-31
MODIFIED BILL ADOPTED
CRITICS ASSERT 1T WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED BY SOUTH IRELAND
MEASURE TO BE EFFECTIVE
AT DISCRETION OF BRIT
ISH GOVERNMENT.
Western Newspaper Union News Scrsiol

London, Dee. 2l.-The Irish home
rule bill, as slightly modified by the
House of Lords, has been adopted by
the House of Commons. The measure
now needs only the royal signature ia
become a law.
The measure will be effective at the
discretion of the government at any
time within three and One-half years,
The government reserves the privilege
of applying the law when the oppor-
tune moment arrives.
The home rule bill as il finally
emerged from parliament ready foi
the royal assent Is not fundamentally
different from the measure the gov
eminent first presented. Months of dis
cussion and efforts to amend in both
house resulted in certain safeguards
being added, which its adherents be
lieye will make it more acceptable t.
the Irish people.
Its critics, however, still maintain
that 1t will not be accepted by South
Ireland, and in this connection ii Is re
called that Arthur Griffith, Sim Fem
leader, said some weeks after the bill
was introduced that there probably
were % ten influential men in Ireland
who had even taken the trouble 10 read
IL.
The bills critics argue that the
events of the past few months have
not served TO change the SIM Fem
attitude that they will not set up the
government suggested by the imperial
parliament.
The bill as presented did not pro-
vide an alternative If either Ulster or
the south, or both, declined to accept
IL, but ii has been amended TO the
effect that If either does not accept II
within three and a half years, the
measure automatically dies, so far as
the section refusing TO accept ii is
concerned.
In the meantime either section de-
clining to accept can be ruled as n
crown colony. The limit of three n
a half years was adopted because by
that time there must be an election
and a new House of Commons.
The bill now provides that there
shall be set up by popular elections
two parliaments, one for Ulster ana
one for the South. Each parliament
shall decide upon the method of select
ing senates. The connecting link be
tween them will be the Irish council
of forty, twenty for each section. Each
senate will select seven of its council
members and each parliament thir-
teen.
The original bill provided that the
president OF tie council should be the
lord chancellor of Ireland. but as
amended he will be appointed by the
lord lieutenant on the advice OF the
crown, which mean thar the govern
ment In power can put anyone at the
head Of the Irish legislative body 1t
pleases. The idea expressed by minis
tiers explaining the bill is that the
council will form a bridge upon which
in time the two parliaments can get
together and forra one body for the en-
tire country.
The measure provides that when
that is done the powers OF police. fl
nance and other branches of the gov
eminent will be turned over The i'm
perial government will keep a pretty
firm hand on the fundamentals Of the
Irish government during the life of
the two parliaments, but holds out
many attractions for a united parlia-
ment that its sponsors hope will coun-
teract the prejudices that always have
existed between the North and South.
The changes made in the powers of
the parliaments as set forth in the
bill when ii was introduced are incon-
seouentfal