On Thursday, after Mr. Redmond had made an impassioned but
absolutely unconvincing speech on the text that the giving of a Constitution to Ireland would strengthen the position of the British Empire in the world, and Mr. Russell had tried not only to defend his own political past but to explain away Mater, Mr. Bonar Law summed up the arguments of the Opposition. With great force he urged that the plea that the present Bill was only part of a general federal system could not be used in future, for it was now clear that custom houses were to be set up within the United Kingdom. The pretence that the congestion of business would be got over by the creation of an Irish Parliament had also gone by the board. Turning to finance, he insisted, with perfect truth, that Great Britain would become responsible for pecuniary commitments over which she would have no controL In regard to Ulster, he again asked the Government ,how they could justify the forcing of the Loyalists of that province under. a, Dublin Parliament against their will. He ended by censuring the Government for refusing to take the opinion of the electorate on their Bill.
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