Sir Edward Grey and Mr.Churchill had thrown out hints in the second reading debate that the Government might do something to meet the Ulster case.

The Prime Minister was now pressed to say what these hints meant.

Had the Government any policy in regard to Ulster?
Had they considered how they could deal with the threatened resistance?
Mr.Bonar Law told the Government that they must know that, if they employed troops to coerce the Ulster Loyalists, Ministers who gave the order "would run a greater risk of being lynched in London than the Loyalists of Ulster would run of being shot in Belfast." Every argument in favour of Home Rule was, he said, equally cogent against subjecting Ulster to Home Rule contrary to her own desire.

If the South of Ireland objected to being governed from Westminster, the North of Ireland quite as strongly objected to being ruled from Dublin.

If England, as was alleged, was incapable of governing Ireland according to Irish ideas, the Nationalists were fully as incapable of governing the northern counties according to Ulster ideas.