Lord Crewe's retort was a somewhat feeble to quoque. Lord
Lansdowne had said they must consider what the Unionists of Ulster would accept. They were also bound to ask what the Irish Nationalists would accept. The answer is easy. If there is a conflict of will of this kind, the only wise plan is to stick to the status quo. If, however, for any reason it is declared that the status quo cannot be maintained, the Government must fall back upon the principle of only altering the existing conditions where that can be done without risking civil war. We thus come back once more to the question of area. But it is common knowledge that, whether right or wrong on other considerations, the exclusion of the whole province of Ulster will prevent civil war. For ourselves, we believe that for the purpose of preventing civil war the exclusion of Ulster minus Cavan and Monaghan and two-thirds of Donegal would make a better solution than the exclusion of the whole province. It may be, however, that things have drifted so far that rothing but the exclusion of the whole province is now possible. In that case, although we think the interests of Protestant Ulster may suffer from its association with a markedly Roman Catholic population, we must assent to the clean cut of the whole province. In the end Lord Lansdowne's amendment was carried by a majority of 99 (138-39).
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