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The Government proposal is vaguer than it need be. The

way to avoid all ambiguity is not to say to the Northern and Southern Parliaments t " You may do everything except something or other " ; but to say to them : " You may do only those things which we hereby define." Sir Edward Carson spoke very strongly in support of this amendment. It was his firm belief, he said, knowing Ireland as he did, that if the Bill were left in its present form, it would mean the separation of Ireland from England. " Do the thing by degrees and retain in this Parliament that residuum of power which alone in my opinion can prevent ultimate separation." The amendment was un- fortunately rejected by 191 votes to 41.

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