Lord Curzon, replying for the Government, said that the Act
of 1914 would come automatically into operation on the day when the Turkish Peace Treaty was ratified, unless it was super- seded by the new Bill. He reminded the House that no con- cessions short of independence would satisfy the Sinn Feiners, and that Lord Grey of Fallodori had admitted that a Constituent Assembly was hardly practicable now. We had gained by entrusting Canada and South Africa with constitutions, but in these cases we were dealing with responsible people. "With whom are we to make a bargain now in Ireland ? " An adjournment would thus be futile. The Bill would not settle the Irish question, but it would go some way towards a settle- ment. The further responsibility would rest with Ireland, Ulster would show how Irishmen could govern themselves and these with whom they did not agree.
Previous page
