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Show HOI RULE TO OE COMPROMISED Leaders Hope to Avert Civil War in Ireland Which Threatens Passage of Bill. CARSON ACCEPTS PLAN Calamity Faces Country Some Way to Peace Must Be Found at Any Cost. London, April 29. A compromise on the question of home rule for Ireland Ire-land seemed today nearer than it has ever been before. There existed a strong belief in parliamentary circles that the conference between the leaders lead-ers of the two great parties, which had been unsuccessful in reaching any agreoment last autumn, would shortly be resumed The houBe of commons discussed the Ulster crisis again today when It wound up the two days' debate on Austen Chamberlains motion for a judicial inquiry Into the government's "plot' to crush the Ulster convenant-ers. convenant-ers. The motion, which fas virtually a vote of censure on the cabinet, was rejected by a party vote of 344 to 364. An atmosphere of great solemnity and restraint overhung the house. The growing belief that civil war In Ireland Ire-land is a realltv which cannot be escaped es-caped if the Irish home rule bill becomes be-comes lav as it at present stands, seems to have influenced members on both sides of the house as It has the newspapers supporting both parties. par-ties. Carson Accepts Overtures. Sir Edward Carson, whose leadership leader-ship of the Ulster rebellion makes him the dominating figure on the opposition opposi-tion side of the house, today accepted the overtures made yesterday by Winston Spencer Churchill, first lord of the admiralty, who had Invited Sir Edward Carson to attempt to compro mise the home rule question on a federal fed-eral basis. Sir Edward reiterated his detestation of home rule and repeated hLs offer that If Ulster were excluded from the bill "until this parliament par-liament shall determine otherwise," instead of the six vears period which Premier Asqulth had offered, he would submit the proposed to the people of Ulster Sir Edward in his reply to Mr Churchill's invitation asserted all he wanted for Ulster was such terms as would conserve the dignity of the U'-ster U'-ster men and their civil and religious freedom. He concluded that In case the home rule bill passed it would be hia earnest prayer that the government govern-ment ot ihe south and west of Ireland Ire-land would prove so successful that it might be to Ulster's interest to join and form a united Ireland. Premier Asquith concluded the debate de-bate with the statement that his of fer of the temporary exclusion of the Ulster counties from the operation of the home rule hill for a period of six years remained open He said he considered Sir Edward Carson's statement state-ment a most important one and he recognized and reciprocated Its spirit. A settlement, he said, could not be successfully negotiated by bargaining across the floor of the house of commons com-mons and the questions at issue could not be settled behind the backs or the men of Ulster or of the rest of Ireland. Andrew Bonar Law, leader of the opposition, who spoke before the premier, pre-mier, said the premier must recognir. that the calamity facing the country was so awful that some way to peace must be found at any cost. He continued con-tinued : if the premier does seek for peace, we on this side of the house will do anything in our power to make a peaceful solution possible." Mr. Law said personal feelings should not count in the question and if Premier Asquith preferred to negotiate ne-gotiate with Lord Lan6downe and Austen Aus-ten Chamberlain instead of with himself him-self he would gladly welcome the suggestion. sug-gestion. Arthur J Balfour, former Unionist premier, in a moving peroration to his speech, justified Ulster in making civil war He said his public life had been devoted to the cause of the union between Great Britain and Ireland Ire-land and concluded. if in order to avoid the incalculable incalcul-able horrors of civil war. we must sot up a separate parliament in Dublin I shall think it marks the failure ot my whole life's work." |