One man gravely proposed that the Irish executive--being made responsible for the peace, order, and good Government of Ireland--should not have the right to settle the procedure in the Irish criminal courts.

Another gentleman proposed that all cases referring to criminal conspiracy should be left to the Imperial Government and Parliament.

The meaning of all this was that the Unionists wanted to draw a ring fence around the Orangemen of Ulster, who had been threatening rebellion.

First, by one set of amendments the Irish Government was not to have a police able to put them down, and then the Irish courts were not to be able to convict them when they broke the law.
[Sidenote: The hours of labour.] On June 9th the Unionists were on another line.

They professed to think that if the Irish Legislature were not compelled to do so they would not prevent overwork and long hours.