The debate on the Irish Settlement was continued in the
House.of Commons on Friday,December 16th. Major O'Neill, the Speaker of the Ulster Parliament, accused the Prime Minister of a ".flagrant violation of.his pledge" in_giving Sinn Fein the idea that they might have Tyrone and Fermanagh. Mr. Lloyd George denied that he had conveyed any such idea ; all he had ever suggested was that the character of the population should be taken into account as well as the economic and geo- graphical conditions. It was a. matter to be considered fairly by the Commission. The same matter had been discussed at the Buckingham Palace Conference, and then the. Ulster representa- tives were under the impression that the effect of such a re- adjustment would be to increase the population of the Unionist area. For our part, we certainly think that if a rearrangement of boundaries relieved the Six County Area of some undesirables, and perhaps added to it some parishes consisting chiefly of loyalists, it would be a source of new strength to Ulster. Mr. Chamberlain wound up the debate for the Government, and when the House divided the Die-Hard amendment was defeated by a majority of 343-401 to 58. The Address was then voted, and the Treaty was thus ratified.
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