3rd Home Rule Bill 1914 - to opt in or to opt out

[NoMommsen]

At the Buckingham Palace conference the 'combattants could at last agree only on one topic :

IF there would be any exclusion of northern/ulster region from Home rule​

then​

it would have to be the province of ulster as a whole to be in or out​

and not any number of counties (the main ... causes-of-conflict were the county of Tyrone and Fermanagh) thereby dividing the province of Ulster as the prematurely at the Lords made proposal of an amendment.

However, Asquith was still trying to figure out a way of such a partition for an opting option - by county, by constituencies, by Poor Law administrativ districts or whatever might fit (nothing did) - when on evening 30th August (IIRC) Carson and Bonar Law offered to take disucussions about home rule from teh agenda for the time being of the prewar crisis.
Such 'amendment thoughts' still circled around an Opting option fo the regions of Ulster to opt for :

• staying out of Home Rule area for a certain time before included into Home Rule area anyway

Not a true option as Carson IMHO rightfully argued, rather a postponement of the inevitable fate

But ... has something else ever been proposed, considered, discussed during this Home Rule crisis IMHO being a "true" option like :

• being included into Home Rule right now BUT after six years having the option to opt out then ? ... after having 'experienced' Home Rule ?

Migth have given an 'Irish Goverment' the opportunity to convince the Ulstermen that they fare better with Home Rule ? ... maybe setting up a 'Advisory Council for religious affairs' with protestant and catholic representatoves on par - despite there being much more catholics on the irish isle. ... or ... supporting Belfast in its growth as a bristling industrial hub for profitable buisness letting the ulstermen make their profit (maybe even better tahn under the 'old rules' of Westminster) ... or ... initiating some settlement programs somewhat shifting in wobbly regions the political leaning of the electorate ... or ... initiate some 'favorable' gerrymandering during these six years befor the 'Option Vote' ... or ...
These might be some arguments to get at least Redmond on board. Regarding Carson ... he would at least be dprived of one of his strongest propaganda arguments against an amendment as thought of.

 

[Titanium49]

The only thing I can think of is if the British were prepared to offer limited home rule to the 32 counties from Dublin, with individual counties being able to opt out in the details changed. Maybe it would have forced the Irish nationalists to accept 70% rule of the entire Ireland, rather than the present situation with 100% rule of 70% of the island.

 

[NoMommsen]

The only thing I can think of is if the British were prepared to offer limited home rule to the 32 counties from Dublin, with individual counties being able to opt out in the details changed. Maybe it would have forced the Irish nationalists to accept 70% rule of the entire Ireland, rather than the present situation with 100% rule of 70% of the island.

What "limitations" of Home Rule would you have in mind ? ... that might have made it acceptable to the Unionists ?
Were these at some point discussed IOTL ?

 

[Titanium49]

What "limitations" of Home Rule would you have in mind ? ... that might have made it acceptable to the Unionists ?
Were these at some point discussed IOTL ?

It's easy to be wise in retrospect. There was probably nothing that would have been acceptable to the Unionists, so London would have had to impose it on them. No one wanted the partition of Ireland, but the Ulster Unionists preferred this to rule from Dublin. Maybe a home rule parliament similar to Scotland and Wales now, with it being explicit that any further extensions of power would generate an opt-out.