§ Mr. DILLON(by Private Notice) asked the Chief Secretary whether he will communicate to the House any report that he has received as to the state of feeling in Ireland in regard to the application of Conscription to that country?
§ Mr. DUKEI have not received any reports which, so far as I can judge, could usefully be circulated.
§ Mr. DILLONI dare say not.
§ Mr. DEVLINIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a meeting was held yesterday at the centre of the Unionist quarters in Belfast, at which nearly 20,000 people, mostly Unionists, attended, that the chairman was the president of the Trades Council of Belfast, and that he stated that he proposed to bring 10,000 men to march on the City Hall next Thursday to ask the Lord Mayor of that city to make representations to the Government to withdraw their Conscription Bill?
§ Mr. DEVLINWill the right hon. Gentleman be good enough to make inquiries, so 25 as to be able to make a statement on the matter on the Adjournment of the House to-night?
§ Mr. DUKEI cannot promise to make a statement on the Adjournment of the House, but I will try to ascertain what are the facts.
§ Mr. DEVLINIn view of the feeling of the Belfast people when they are infuriated, will the right hon. Gentleman take steps immediately to gather full knowledge of what the feeling is that exists there, and to see that there is no outburst of violence immediately against this measure before it is started in the rest of Ireland?
§ Mr. DUKEI have no reason to anticipate any occurence such as the hon. Member suggests in Belfast. Now that he has given me his view of the matter, I will get the best information I can on the subject.
§ Mr. DEVLINDoes not the right hon. Gentleman regard it as of vital importance that the Government should withdraw this Clause, in view of the fact that on Thursday next the President of the Trades Council will march to the Town Hah with 10,000 citizens, mostly Unionists, to protest against this measure?
§ Mr. DUKEThat statement has not the weight upon my mind, which it must have if I were quite sure the prophecy had the same value as a fact.
§ Sir E. CARSONIs it not a fact that since the Bill was introduced 2,000 recruits have joined in Belfast?
§ Mr. DUKEI have not any detailed information or figures, but I know there has been a considerble amount of recruiting in Belfast and in the neighbourhood.
§ Mr. DEVLINHave not the recruits who have been secured within the last few days been recruits from the shipyards, with the assurance given them by their employers that they will not be called up?
§ Mr. DILLON(by Private Notice) asked the Leader of the House whether his attention has been directed to the violent manifestations of opinion in Ireland from all parties and all sections of the community against the proposed application of Conscription to that country, and 26 whether, in view of the dangerous state of public feeling in Ireland, he will at least give a full day for the further discussion of the Irish Clause of this Bill?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Bonar Law)For reasons which have been very fully stated to the House, the Government cannot agree to any further delay in the passing of this Bill than is contained in the Resolution which has been accepted by the House.
§ Mr. DILLONHas the right hon. Gentleman's attention boon called to the fact that the guillotine Resolution has been so framed that no discussion whatever can take place on the Third Reading of the Bill, and is there any precedent in the whole history of the House of Commons for passing a Bill of this character without allowing any discussion on the Third Reading?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI think the hon. Member is mistaken. To-morrow is Report and Third Reading.
§ Mr. DILLONThe whole day will be taken by Report.
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThat depends on the House.
§ Mr. BILLINGHaving regard to the desirability of English Members having an opportunity of expressing their opinions from the English point of view, will the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of making the Irish Clause a Bill on its own, dealing with it on its merits, and dealing with the English Clause on its own merits also?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIt has been dealt with both by question and in Debate. I have nothing to add.
§ Mr. J. H. THOMASIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that on Saturday next there is a special Trade Union Congress for all Ireland to be held, and will the Government bear in mind that in the case of previous Bills affecting Conscription in England Trade Congresses have had an opportunity of meeting and considering them?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThese considerations were also brought up in Debate. They have all been taken into account by the Government, and, as I have explained more than once, it is the needs of the military situation which necessitate the measure.
§ Mr. DEVLINIn view of the fact that the Prime Minister attended Labour Conferences before Conscription was put into operation in England will he come over to Ireland and enter into consultation with Trade Union Congresses in that country, and if not, why not? If Irishmen are to be conscripted why should the same methods not be adopted in Ireland as have been adopted in this country?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI have already given the answer. It is that there is no time. In any case, nothing is being asked from an Irishman which is not asked from an Englishman.
§ Mr. BILLINGDoes the right hon. Gentleman consider that this is a favourable time, in view of the military situation, in which to introduce civil war into Ireland?