The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-06-17
Will Choose Permanent Parliament.

Tha AnSlo-Irish treaty, signed last
'rocar,b.r under which the Irtsh Free
s,ate IA being created. provided for the
formation OF an Irish Parliament Inc
act to give the treaty effect passed "
the British parliament in March SNIpu
lated that elections 10 preEIS'o"nt
parliament for the Free State sh0u'u
he bsld .as soon as may BE-" after the
rassace Of the act. These are the etec-
lions being held In Ireland today Inc
parliament so elected Is 70 pass upon
rho constitution for the Free State I'M
der which a permanent parliament hoF
southern Ireland will be chosen.
Lacking any cor stitutional division or
the country into districts for the prs
ent election. the act or the b'''',"
Parliament stipulated that the pros
rsctiWs members be nominated from
thA constituencies which elected mein-
Mars 10 the Parliament chosen under
me Government OF Ireland Act o. lF2F
E,lections were held IN southern lrelanc
that year under this act. but the ParI'a.
ment never came into being. Instead
the members elected were deciareu oE
the Irish Republican Government al
that time TO constitute the membership
OF the Dali Eireann. or Republican
Parliament. which. since the adopt'n OF
the Anglo-Irish treaty. has been allowed
by the British government 20 junction
"a virtually the recognized legislative
body for Southern Ireland. 1t Was the
Dale Eireann ror instance which passed
mon the Anglo-Ir!sh treaty Itself, ratl-
flying Il, as will be recalled. by ma
jority Of seven votes.
On Official Slate.
It was contemplated by the British
government, and originally by the irish
Provisional government headed oE
Michael Collins. that today's elections
should be freely contested and should
virtually constitute pleoiSclte OF
Southern Ireland on the question OF the
treaty and the proposed constitution.
The opposition to such pleoisclte on
the part OF the Republican faction, led
nv Damon do Valera. was 50 deter
mined. however, that late IN May an
axreement was reached between the
Collins and de Valera factions that can
dIdates previously agreed upon should
be nominated by the two factions. COM
nrisinx virtually an official slate. the
members being chosen In the propOrtio"
IN which the two factions are nov repre-
,sonted in the Dali Eireann, or WIN a
slight preponderance for the Collins
party.
The new parliament will form coali-
tion cabinet drawn from the pro-treaty
faction under Michael Collins, and the
enti-treaty forces under Eamonn de
Valera provided. among other things. Tor
n cabinet OF eleven members including
,the president and minister OF defense.
The nine other members Will be select ted.
i've from the majority party and four
from the minority party, each party 10
choose Its nominees.
The factional agreement OF May
brought about a halt in the aggressive
Srht being waged by the de Valera fac
tion against the provisional! goverm-
ment. Al the same time Z was received
with something like CONSERVATION IN
British governmental circles. II was
believed IN England that Il struck at the
basis OF the treaty IN preventing Il free
expression of southern Irish opinion u"
the pact and that * might represent also
the Yielding OF the Collins faction 10 tho
militant antI-trcaty party. which mas
been inSiStcnt that the hSnt Lor re-
public be kept up.
British Sound warning.
In this situation the British authori-
ties asked the leading representatives
Of the provisional government TO come
10 London for a conference. and lengthy
conversations between cabinet members
and the Irish representatives took place
there during the week Of May %. AS q
result, Colonial Secretary Wtnsor
Churchill. in speech in the British
House OF Commons on June announced
what was virtually the decision OF the
British government {" let the elections
proceed as arranged by the TWO factions
I'm ireland This was coupled. however
with ths warning that II any OF the
members OF The coalition government
for Ireland representing both factions
rSnH'!tufcd upon the basis OF the new
elections. should fail 20 subscribe Il
tho declaration % adherence 10 the trea
~. the british government would con
ylier that this constituted Violation
Of the treaty. The British government
would feel Ere" in that case. no said Z
resume tu!l liberty OF action as to re
claiming the powers coded 20 the lrisf
authorities under the treaty II wa!
broadly limited b. Mr.. Churchill indeed
that tais might mean q military re-oo