The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-22
IRISH HOME RULE BILL |S READY FOR
 ROYAL SIGNATURE
Measure Is Adopted by House of Commons as Slightly Modified by House
 of Lords
By Associated Pres.

A1oHuoii l'ecemDer Zl-Ihe Irish home rule bill, as slightly modified by the House of Lords, was adopted by the House of Commons today. The measure now needs only the royal signature to become law
 The measure will be effective at the dlscretion 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 if finally emerged from Parliament today ready Tor the royal assent is not fundamen laliy different from the measure the gov erhinent first presented. Months of dis ctsson and efforts to amend in botb houses resulted in certain safeguards ba- Ing added which. it's adherents believe. Will make 1t more acceptable to the Irish people.
 It's critics, however, still maintain that 1t will not be accepted by south Ireland. ana in this connection it is recalled that Arthur Griffith, Sim F'en leader. said some weeks after the bill was introduced that there probably were not 10 influen- tial men in Ireland who had even taken the trouble to read it. The bilTs critics argue that the events of the past few months have not served to change the Sinn rem attitude that they will not set up the government suggested by the Inn perlal Parliament. The bill as presented dld not provide an alternative, if either oister or the south, or both declined to accept it. but it has been amended to the effect that if either does not accept 1t within three and half years, the measure automatically dies, so far as the seeuon refusing to accept it is con cerned.
 RULED AS COLONY In the meantime, either section declin- ing to accept can be ruled as a crown colony The limit of three and 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 Far. liaments, one for Ulster and one for the south Each Parliament shall decide upon the question of the method of se- lecting Senates. The connecting link be- tween them will be the Irish council of forty. 20 for each section Each Senate will select seven of it's council members. and each Parliament 13.
 The original bill provided that the pres ident of the council should be the lord chancellor of Ireland but, as amended, ne VIII te dDpOInleu Dy the lOrd leuten- ant on the advice of the crown which means that the goverpment in power can put anyone at the head of the Irish leg islative body it pleases The idea ex- pressed by ministers explaining the bill is that the council will form bridge upon which in time the two Parliaments can get together and form one body for the entire country.
 The measure provides that when that is done certain powers of police, finance and other branches of the government will be turned over. The imperial gov ernment will keep a pretty firm hand on the Fundamentals of the Irish govern ment during the life of the two parlia ments, but holds out many attractions for united Parliament that it's spon- sors hope will counteract the preiudices that have always existed between the north and the south.
 i The changes made in the powers of the
 fCOufinued pny