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I.
Copy of l e t t e r from A c t i n g S e c r e t a r y ,
Attorney-General,
War C a b i n e t , t o
18th
Dear
the
September,1919
Attorney-General,
The P r i m e M i n i s t e r
lacs a s k e d f o r t h e p r e s e n t p o s i t i o n
o f t h e Home R u l e A c t , w i t n s p e o i a l r e f e r e n c e t o t h e dr.te
a t w h i c h i t would a u t o m a t i c a l l y come i n t o o p e r a t i o n .
The e n c l o s e d Memorandum h a s b e e n p r e p a r e d i n t h i s O f f i c e
a n d I s h a l l he g l a d i f you w i l l t e l l me f o r t h e Prime
M i n i s t e r s i n f o r m a t i o n , i f i t i s a c o r r e c t s t a t e m e n t of
the p o s i t i o n .
Yours
sincerely,
( S g d . ) Thomas J o n e s ,
Ac t ing' S e o r c t : r y .
(The Ht.Hozi. S i r " G o r d o n H e w a r t ,
I£ * C * , r.- o P o
II
Memorandum-.
The p o s t p o n e m e n t o f t h e Government o f I r e l a n d .'-.ct
w i l l a u t o m a t i c a l l y end w i t h t h e , t e r m i n a t i o n of t h e p r e s e n t
war-, v i z . t h e r a t i f i c a t i o n of t h e P e a c e T r e a t i e s , and b e f o r e
t h a t t a k e s p l a c e i t w i l l be n e c e s s a r y f o r a n O r d e r i n C o u n c i l
t o be i s s u e d d e c l a r i n g t h e d a t e a t w h i c h s t e p s a r e t o he
t a k e n to p u t t h e Act i n t o o p e r a t i o n .
The p o s t p o n e m e n t h a s b e e n e f f e c t e d u n d e r S e c t i o n 1
( i ) of t h e S u s p e n s o r y Aot p a s s e d on .,ept ember 1 8 t h ,
1 9 1 4 , c o n c u r r e n t l y w i t h t h e Government o f I r e l a n d ^ o t ,
b y w h i c h no s t e p s s h a l l be t a k e n t o p u t t h e l a t t e r
i n t o o p e r a t i o n u n t i l such d a t e (not b e i n g l a t e r t h a n
t h e end of t h e p r e s e n t w a r ) a s may he f i x e d b y H i s
Majesty T y Oraer in Councils
By s u c c e s s i v e o r d e r s
i n C o u n c i l a p o s t p o n e m e n t f o r a p e r i o d of 18 m o n t h s
from S e p t e m b e r 1 8 t h , 1914 was f o l l o w e d by 8 s u c c e s s i v e
p e r i o d s of 6 m o n t h s , v i z :
u n t i l March 1 8 t h , 1 9 2 0 .
The Act i s s u b j e c t t o f u r t h e r p o s t p o n e m e n t . i f t h e war
he n o t t h e n t e r m i n a t e d .
S h o u l d t h e P e a c e Tree t i e s he
r a t i f i e d b e f o r e March 1 8 t h , 1 9 2 0 , t h e p o s t p o n e m e n t
would a u t o m a t i c a l l y
c e a s e from t h e d a t e of r a t i f i c a t i o n
S e c t i o n 1 f i ) of t h e " T e r m i n a t i o n of t h e P r e s e n t
a r ( D e f i n i t i o n ) ..,ct 1 9 1 8 " p r o v i d e s t h r . t H i s M a j e s t y
e n d C o u n c i l may d e c l a r e whet d a t e i s to be t r e a t e d
a s t h o d a t e of t e r m i n a t i o n of t h e p r e s e n t w a r , a n d
t h e war s h a l l be t r e a t e d c.s h a v i n g e n d e d on t h a t d a t e
f o r t h e p u r p o s e s of a n y p r o v i s i o n i n a n y Act o i
P a r l i a m e n t , Order i n C o u n c i l , or Proclam:;tion.
S e c t i o n l ( i i ) of t h e same Act p r o v i d e s t h a t t h e d a t e
t o be f i x e d by O r d o r i n C o u n c i l s h a l l be a s n e r r l y
a s may be t h e d a t e of t h e e x c h a n g e or d e p o s i t of
r a t i f i c a t i o n s of t h e T r e a t y or T r e a t i e s of Pcr.ce
which p r e s u m a b l y would d e f e r t h e t e r m i n a t i o n o i t h e
war u n t i l t h e r a t i f i c a t i o n of t h e T r e a t y w i t h T u r k e y
a s t h e l a s t of t h e enemy S t a t e s *
S e c t i o n 4 9 of t h e Government of I r e l a n d Act 1914
p r o v i d e s t h a t t h e Act s h a l l come i n t o o p e r a t i o n on t h e
^ a p p o i n t e d day",,
The a p p o i n t e d d a y . which v a r i e s f o r
d i f f e r e n t p u r p o s e s u n & e r ^ t h o A c t , i s t o be t h e f i r s t T u e s d a y
i n t h e e i g h t h month a f t e r t h e month i n w h i c h t h e Act was
p a s s e d , o r s u c h o t h e r d a y a s may be f i x e d by O r d e r i n
C o u n c i l n o t more t h a n 7 m o n t h s e a r l i e r o r l a t e r
In view
of t h e S u s p e n s o r y A c t t h e 8 m o n t h s would c o u n t from c d a t e
t o be f i x e d by O r d e r i n C o u n c i l , n o t l a t e r t h a n t h e t o r m i n a ­
I t i s f u r t h e r p r o v i d e d i n t h e same
t i o n of t h e w a r
S e c t i o n t h a t t h e I r i s h p a r l i a m e n t s h o u l d be summoned t o meet
not l a t e r than 4 months a f t e r t h e s a i d Tuesday.
0
9
6
Ill,
Copy of t h e a t t o r n e y - G e n e r a l ^
reply,
1
23rd
September,1919
Dear M r . J o n e s ,
In r e p l y to your l e t t e r , I agree g e n e r a l l y with t h e
f i r s t t h r e e p a r a g r a p h s of t h e memorandum w h i c h you e n c l o s e d ,
e x c e p t t h a t I s h o u l d p r e f e r , i n t h e l a s t t h r e e l i n e s of t h e
3 r d p a r a g r a p h , a f t e r t h e word ' ' ? e a . c e " , t o s a y , "which may,
i n t h e d i s c r e t i o n of H i s M a j e s t y i n C o u n c i l , d e f e r t h e
t e r m i n a t i o n of t h e w a r u n t i l t h e r a t i f i c a t i o n of t h e T r e a t y
w i t h T u r k e y a s t h e l a s t of t h e enemy S t a t e s " i n s t e a d of
" w h i c h p r e s u m a b l y would d e f e r t h e t e r m i n . t i o n & o . "
As r e g a r d s p a r a g r a p h 4 , I do n o t a g r e e w i t h t h e v i o w
t h a t t h e e i g h t m o n t h s m e n t i o n e d i n S e c t i o n 4 9 o f t h e Act
would c o u n t from t h e d a y t o be f i x e d b y O r d e r i n C o u n c i l .
I n my o p i n i o n , u p o n a day n o t l a t e r t h a n t h e t e r m i n a t i o n Of
t h e "Jar b e i n g f i x e d u n d e r t h e S u s p e n s o r y A c t , t h e Government
of I r e l a n d Act comes i n t o o p e r a t i o n on t h e d a y so f i x e d , .
a n d t h e I r i s h P a r l i a m e n t must be summoned t o meet n o t l a t e r
than f o u r months a f t e r t h a t d a y .
. I t would seem t h a t , i n
t h e p r e p a r a t i o n of t h e S u s p e n s o r y A c t , t o o l i t t l e a t t e n t i o n
was p a i d t o t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f s e c t i o n 49 of t h e Government
of I r e l a n d A c t ,
In other words, by-merely postponing tho
d a t e a t w h i c h a n Act i s t o be -Dut i n t o o p e r a t i o n , you. d o n o t
a l t e r t h e d a t e upon which i t i s p a s s e d .
Yours
sincerely,
f S g d . )GORDOJJf HF/ ABT.
T
Thomas J o n e s , E S Q . .