Captain Pirrie, one of Redmond's few closely attached friends outside the Irish party, bound, I think, far more in affection to the Irish leader than to his own chiefs, complained angrily of the Government's evasive reticence.

This brought up the Prime Minister, whose speech was brief and direct: "This amendment proceeds on an assumption which I believe is radically false, namely, that you can split Ireland into parts.

You can no more split Ireland into parts than you can split England or Scotland into parts." When Sir Edward Carson had spoken, the Ulster leader's speech enabled Redmond to point out that Ulstermen refused to accept this proposal as a means by which Ulster might be reconciled to Home Rule, but were ready to vote for it simply as a wrecking amendment.

General opinion on both sides of the House agreed that the amendment made the Bill impossible; and the majority held that therefore Ulster must give way.

Ulster, on the other hand, held that therefore there must be no Home Rule Bill.