On Wednesday in the House of Commons the crisis reached
its zenith in the sensational and, from many points of view, unexpected resignation of Colonel Seely. Colonel Seely made a very full and frank confession, and declared that he had been gravely to blame in giving the pledge to General Gough which was set forth in the White Paper issued that morning. He had exceeded the instructions of the Cabinet, and so misled his colleagues. The Cabinet bad settled upon the particular form of words with which General Gough was to be reassured. To this formal document, in order apparently to make it clearer and also more satisfactory to the General, Colonel Seely, in conjunction with Lord Morley, had added the two final paragraphs. We cannot find space to quote these paragraphs in full, but they, in effect, promised that the Army would not be used to crush political opposition to the policy or principles of the Home Rule Bill. It was these paragraphs which the Government repudiated, and in regard to which Colonel Seely tendered his resignation. Speak- ing in the House of Lords, Lord Morley said of them : " The Government has decided that these two paragraphs are to be considered as of no effect." Colonel Seely made a good im- pression upon the House by the declaration that be had felt it his duty to ask the Prime Minister to accept his resignation from office.
Previous page
