The Rights of Northern Ireland
The debates of the past week on Ireland ended better than they began, with the unopposed passage of the Ireland Bill, conferring notable privileges on Eire citizens, through its third reading. A conspicuous and welcome feature of the speeches from the Govern- ment Front Bench was the insistence of every prominent Minister who took part—Mr. Attlee, Mr. Morrison, Mr. Chuter Ede, Mr. Noel Baker—that there can be no question of bringing the smallest pressure on Northern Ireland to go out of the Commonwealth in which she is determined to remain. The sub-clause of the Bill definitely affirming that was the subject of the keenest discussion, and a good deal of party insubordination, duly dealt with since, on the Government side. Motions to omit that clause altogether, or to substitute the consent of "the people" of Northern Ireland for the consent of "the Parliament" of Northern Ireland were rejected by overwhelming majorities, the Conservatives, of course, voting with the Government, but with minority votes, representing almost wholly Government rebels, rising in one case as high as 54- It is an astonishing example of deliberate myopia that the dissidents should fail to recognise that whatever provocation there has been came wholly from Dublin. That Mr. Costello, having decided to take Southern Ireland out of the Commonwealth, should make it a grievance that he cannot carry Northern Ireland out too argues a political irresponsibility which of course concerns Southern Ireland mainly, but unfortunately not wholly. Having fanned the nationalist flames, Mr. Costello will now have to demonstrate his ability to keep them in check, for the activities of remnants of the I.R.A., and the appearance of such incitements as exhortations "Arm to Take the North" indicate a situation which might easily grow serious. It is well that everyone in Ireland should realise that in case of need the whole resources of Great Britain would be available for the defence of an integral part of the United Kingdom.
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