The Irish Constitution Part 8

14. After the expiration of the said month, if no such address as is mentioned in Article 12 hereof is presented, the Parliament and Government of Northern Ireland shall continue to exercise as respects Northern Ireland the powers conferred on them by the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, but the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State shall in Northern Ireland have in relation to matters in respect of which the Parliament of Northern Ireland has not power to make laws under that Act (including matters which under the said Act are within the jurisdiction of the Council of Ireland) the same powers as in the rest of Ireland subject to such other provisions as may be agreed in manner hereinafter appearing.

15. At any time after the date hereof the Government of Northern Ireland and the provisional Government of Southern Ireland hereinafter const.i.tuted may meet for the purpose of discussing the provisions subject to which the last foregoing Article is to operate in the event of no such address as is therein mentioned being presented and those provisions may include:--

(_a_) Safeguards with regard to patronage in Northern Ireland.

(_b_) Safeguards with regard to the collection of revenue in Northern Ireland.

(_c_) Safeguards with regard to import and export duties affecting the trade or industry of Northern Ireland.

(_d_) Safeguards for minorities in Northern Ireland.

(_e_) The settlement of the financial relations between Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State.

(_f_) The establishment and powers of a local militia in Northern Ireland and the relation of the Defence Forces of the Irish Free State and of Northern Ireland respectively.

and if at any such meeting provisions are agreed to, the same shall have effect as if they were included amongst the provisions subject to which the powers of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State are to be exercisable in Northern Ireland under Article 14 hereof.

16. Neither the Parliament of the Irish Free State nor the Parliament of Northern Ireland shall make any law so as either directly or indirectly to endow any religion or prohibit or restrict the free exercise thereof or give any preference or impose any disability on account of religious belief or religious status or affect prejudicially the right of any child to attend a school receiving public money without attending the religious instruction at the school or make any discrimination as respects State aid between schools under the management of different religious denominations or divert from any religious denomination or any educational inst.i.tution any of its property except for public utility purposes and on payment of compensation.

17. By way of provisional arrangement for the administration of Southern Ireland during the interval which must elapse between the date hereof and the const.i.tution of a Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State in accordance therewith, steps shall be taken forthwith for summoning a meeting of members of Parliament elected for const.i.tuencies in Southern Ireland since the pa.s.sing of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, and for const.i.tuting a provisional Government, and the British Government shall take the steps necessary to transfer to such provisional Government the powers and machinery requisite for the discharge of its duties, provided that every member of such provisional Government shall have signified in writing his or her acceptance of this instrument. But this arrangement shall not continue in force beyond the expiration of twelve months from the date hereof.

18. This instrument shall be submitted forthwith by His Majesty's Government for the approval of Parliament and by the Irish signatories to a meeting summoned for the purpose of the members elected to sit in the House of Commons of Southern Ireland, and if approved shall be ratified by the necessary legislation.

(Signed)

On behalf of the British Delegation, D. LLOYD GEORGE.

AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN.

BIRKENHEAD.

WINSTON S. CHURCHILL.

L. WORTHINGTON-EVANS.

HAMAR GREENWOOD.

GORDON HEWART.

On behalf of the Irish Delegation, ART O GRIOBHTHA. (ARTHUR GRIFFITH).

MICHAL O COILEAIN.

RIOBARD BARTUN.

E. S. O DUGAIN.

SEORSA GHABHAIN UI DHUBHTHAIGH.

6th December, 1921.

ANNEX.

1. The following are the specific facilities required.

DOCKYARD PORT AT BEREHAVEN.

(_a_) Admiralty property and rights to be retained as at the date hereof. Harbour defences to remain in charge of British care and maintenance parties.

QUEENSTOWN.

(_b_) Harbour defences to remain in charge of British care and maintenance parties. Certain mooring buoys to be retained for use of His Majesty's ships.

BELFAST LOUGH.

(_c_) Harbour defences to remain in charge of British care and maintenance parties.

LOUGH Sw.i.l.l.y.

(_d_) Harbour defences to remain in charge of British care and maintenance parties.

AVIATION.

(_e_) Facilities in the neighbourhood of the above ports for coastal defence by air.

OIL FUEL STORAGE.

(_f_) Haulbowline - {To be offered for sale to commercial {companies under guarantee that Rathmullen - {purchasers shall maintain a certain {minimum stock for Admiralty purposes.

2. A convention shall be made between the British Government and the Government of the Irish Free State to give effect to the following conditions:--

(_a_) That submarine cables shall not be landed or wireless stations for communication with places outside Ireland be established except by agreement with the British Government; that the existing cable landing rights and wireless concessions shall not be withdrawn except by agreement with the British Government; and that the British Government shall be ent.i.tled to land additional submarine cables or establish additional wireless stations for communication with places outside Ireland:

(_b_) That lighthouses, buoys, beacons, and any navigational marks or navigational aids shall be maintained by the Government of the Irish Free State as at the date hereof and shall not be removed or added to except by agreement with the British Government:

(_c_) The war signal stations shall be closed down and left in charge of care and maintenance parties, the Government of the Irish Free State being offered the option of taking them over and working them for commercial purposes subject to Admiralty inspection and guaranteeing the upkeep of existing telegraphic communication therewith.

3. A Convention shall be made between the same Governments for the regulation of Civil Communication by Air.

D. L. G.

A. C.

B.

W. S. C.

M. O. C.