Volume 1 1919~1922


Doc No.
Date
Subject

No. 162 NAI DE 2/304/1

Draft clause on Ulster sent to delegation in London1

Undated, but October 1921

North East Ulster Draft Clause
The following constituencies of North East Ireland, viz.: the Boroughs of Belfast and Derry, North, South, East, and Mid Antrim, North, South, and Mid Armagh, North and South Derry, North, South, East, West, and Mid Down, North and South Fermanagh, and North-East, North West and South Tyrone, may by vote of their registered electors (or adult inhabitants) severally elect to be directly represented in the Irish Parliament; provided that if all of them, or a smaller number2 contiguous and forming a3 territorially continuous group do not so elect they shall be entitled to maintain a legislature possessed of local governing powers set out in the Act of the British Parliament known as 'Government of Ireland Act, 1920' (10 & 11 Geo. 5. Ch. 67), and provided they shall be entitled to the same representation relatively to the rest of Ireland in the Irish Parliament as they would have been entitled to in the British Parliament under the provisions of the above mentioned Act.

Should the constituencies enumerated opt to be directly represented in the National Parliament, it is agreed that a Convention be executed with their elected representatives safeguarding any lawful interests peculiar to the area, and for this purpose a Commission shall be appointed consisting of ______ persons nominated by the National Government and ______ persons elected by the representatives of the area mentioned.

To provide adequate and just representation for the4 political minority, the Irish Government agrees to take into consultation the representatives of this minority with a view to devising a scheme of proportional representation which will secure this object.

Editorial Note: The first session of the negotiations opened at10 Downing St. at 11 a.m. on 11 October 1921.

1 This clause was not sent to London until 14 October. See No. 168.

2 The word 'territorially' has been crossed out here.

3 The words 'continuous group' have been crossed out here.

4 The words 'all minorities' are crossed out here.