He promised his help in this, and it was felt that Ulstermen generally were on their honour to report well of what they commended in our presence.
They were, it seems, at least as good as their word; the Committee behind them was favourably impressed, and when we went to Cork--so I have been informed--the question of giving the delegates full powers to negotiate was under discussion.

But this mood was dissipated by the angry temper in all sections which arose out of the imprisonments, the hunger-strikes, the penalties imposed, and the successive concessions to violent resistance.
To this was added a new cause of quarrel.

The Franchise Bill was now coming before the House of Commons; and under the provisions agreed to by the Speaker's Conference, extension of the franchise was to be applied in Ireland, but there was to be no redistribution.

This proposal was not unreasonable, since the Home Rule Act was now a statute and under it new and properly distributed constituencies were scheduled; while over and above this the Convention was in existence to occupy itself with the matter.
On the other hand, the existing distribution of seats was hard on Unionist Ulster: the great mass of population in and about Belfast was under-represented.

Ulstermen said that while Nationalists professed great desire to give favour to minorities, in reality they persisted in keeping their political opponents at an unfair disadvantage.