At dinner-time on Tuesday a discussion was begun upon the
motion " that Clause 1 as amended stand part of the Bill," and this led to a more general debate. In the course of it Mr. Birrell made some observations with regard to Ulster. He complained that no well-considered amendments had been put down by the representatives of Ulster, and that it had been left for a Liberal member to move the omission of the four counties from the Bill. The debate on that amendment had not convinced him that it represented any real and honest desire on the part of Ulster. Nor did he hear that, if Ulster were omitted, the opposition to the Bill would be mitigated. When the clause came into operation the people of Ulster would find that their fears bad been mistaken. In the course of Wednesday's debate Mr. Asquith declared that Sir Edward Grey and Mr. Churchill (whose absence from the House had been commented upon) were in complete agreement with the rest of the Cabinet. He added that if proposals for the special treatment of Ulster were honestly put forward, and were' consistent with the purpose of the Bill, they would certainly be considered by the Government. The first clause was then carried by 316 votes to 224, and the discussion of the second clause was begun.
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