Letter from Alexander McDowell to Edward Carson, 5 October 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Alexander McDowell

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Letter from Alexander McDowell (1853-1918) to Edward Carson (1854-1935). Carson was a prominent Unionist Politician. Originally a practicing solicitor from Dublin, Carson's opposition to the proposed third Home Rule bill made him the figure head of Unionism throughout the island. He was the centerpiece of the speaking tour that culminated in Ulster Day (28 September 1912), when just under half a million signed Ulster's solemn league and covenant pledging to use ‘all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a home rule parliament in Dublin’. Carson inaugurated the Larne gunrunning in 1914 which armed the UVF, many of whom Carson would encourage to join the British Army throughout the First World War. Alexander McDowell, Esq., was the joint director of Ireland for the Ministry of Munitions.

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland Carson Papers, D1507/A/19/2 https://letters1916.ie/item/4366 English Alexander McDowell 1916-10-05 51 Royal Avenue, Belfast, Co. Antrim, Ireland Edward Carson Male 1918 Politics Politics Country and City Life

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 PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL TELEPHONE Nos 2610, 2611, 2612 CARRSON & McDOWELL. 51 Royal Avenue, Belfast. 5th October, 1916. Dear Sir Edward, This is just to keep you informed of what has been transpiring here in relation to Mr. Duke's visit. He arrived on Friday evening and met a few of us at dinner at the Lord Mayor's house. There was a very full and frank expression of opinion and a number of sugges- tions which had been made to him were put before us and discussed and all rejected. We suggested to him that it would be desirable that he should come into contact with every phase of thought and opinion in the North and we have assisted him in getting at this in every way in our power. He has both privately aand publicly met all classes and condi- tions of Society and I think he is leaving tonight impressed with the view of the complete solidarity of the people here of all classes that the exclusion of the six Counties or the total repeal of the Bill Act can be the only solution of the difficulty. He has not committed himself to anything beyond an expressed determination that while he is Chief Secretary he will see that the law of the land is obeyed by all sections North South East and West. His position is that at present he is only collecting information to thoroughly understand the position from each of the parties' point of view. One suggestion which appparently had been made to him and which he expressed and discussed was that Ulster might accept Home Rule provided a majority was given to Unionists in the Parliament and the way it was proposed to give this majority was by a property qualification. I think he is satisfied that even if business men did agree to such a proposition it would be impossible to carry it with the rank and file either of Nationalists or of Unionists in Ireland and that so far as England was concerned we thought the English people would not be likely to consent to the establishment of any ascendancy based on property Valuation. I think probably we have heard the last of that scheme. Then another suggestion which had been made to him was that the Nationalists might be satisfied if we reduced the six Counties to four and left out Tyrone and Fermanagh. The reasons for the inclusion of Tyrone and Fermanagh were explained very fully to him. He had to admit the cogency of the arguments and I think he saw clearly enough that the suggestion would not work but in any event would not be acceptable. The question of conscription was raised at several of the talks and the position which was taken up was that in this part of the world we thought no difference should at first have been made between Ireland and England; that we did our best to get Ireland treated on the same basis as England but that the Government did not see its way to acquiesce; that if the Government deemed it now advisable to bring in conscription Ulster would accept it and loyally carry it out and that notwithstanding the sacrifices she had already made she was prepared to make further and any sacrifice for the Empire, but the move in that direction must come from the Government. He was also told that if we made any move it would only be stated by those on the other side that it was done for the purpose of causing further embarrassment to them and to get a party advantage and that was not a position that the people here would care to be placed in. At the same time we told him that if conscription on the English principle was applied here it would for all practical purposes amount to nothing because tribunals con- stituted on the English system would be certain to grant exemptions to such an extent as to really nullify the Act; that if conscription was brought in by the Goverment it ought to be a really workable measure that would get men and not a measure which could be used to excuse men for remaining out. The Lord Mayor entertained him yesterday to a Public Luncheon and he dined with me last night where he met fourteen of our principle business men not only from Belfast but from the Provinces. The Harbour Commissioners gave him a Public Luncheon today on his inspection of the Harbour and the Shipbuilding yards and he was to have dined with George Clark this evening to meet some more people but he is called to London to attend a Cabinet Council tomorrow and his engagements therefore, at least for the present, with us are at an end. The Chamber of Commerce and Trades Association had decided to invite him to a Public Luncheon tomorrow to meet the different Trade Representatives. That of course is now cancelled. On going through the Shipyards arrangements were made that he was able to converse with the men and get their views and I understand their views coincided in the result with the views that had been given to him by the business men. Yesterday after the Mayor's Public Luncheon the Mayor arranged that the Nationalist members of the Corporation, together with their Bishop, should see him alone in the Lord Mayor's parlour. We of course do not know what took place but we have a suspicion that the interview did not give him any hopeful feelings. The above little resume I think will convey to you in a concrete from the exact position and result and I felt you would be interested in knowing it at first hand. I will very probably be in London next week and if I am will take the liberty of ringing you up with a view to arranging a convenient time to have a few words conversation. Yours truly, Alexander McDowell The Rt. Hon. Sir Edward Carson, K.C. M.P Miramar Birchington-on-Sea. Alexander McDowell Letter from Sir Matthew Nathan to Alexander McDowell, 3 November 1915Letter from Alexander McDowell to E. A. Aston, 17 March 1916Letter from the War Employments Inspector to Alexander McDowell, 22 March 1916Letter from Alexander McDowell to Edward Carson, 20 July 1916Letter from Alexander McDowell to Edward Carson, 5 October 1916 Edward Carson Letter from David Lloyd George to Edward Carson, 29 May 1916Letter from Sir Dawson Bates to Edward Carson, 2 December 1915Letter from William Robert Young to Edward Carson, 9 July 1916Letter from Alexander McDowell to Edward Carson, 20 July 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenerg Montgomery to Edward Carson, 31 May 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Edward Carson, 9 June 1916Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Edward Carson, 9 June 1916Letter from Frederick Hugh Crawford to Edward Carson, 8 March 1916Letter from Edward Carson to Thomas McGregor Greer, 12 July 1916Letter from Sir Edward Carson to Sir Robert Ponsonby Staples, 10 December 1915Letter to Edward Carson, 19 November 1915Letter from William R. Young to Edward Carson, 2 November 1915Letter from J.M. Wilson to Edward Carson, 3 November 1915Letter from Turner Oliver Read to Edward Carson, 12 November 1915Letter from William R. Young to Edward Carson, 12 November 1915Letter from Harold Tennant to Edward Carson, 17 November 1915Letter from Henry Mulholland to Pembroke Wicks, circa November 1915Letter from Wilfrid Spender to Edward Carson, 25 November 1915Letter Wilfrid Spender to Edward Carson, 3 December 1915Letter to Edward Carson, 4 December 1915Letter from Robert Thompson to Edward Carson, 18 December 1915Letter from W.T. Bailey to Edward Carson, 22 December 1915Letter from General Nevil Macready to Edward Carson, 1 May 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 2 May 1916Letter from Horace Plunkett to Edward Carson, 4 May 1916Postcard to Edward Carson, 4 May 1916Letter from D.P. Barton to Edward Carson, 5 May 1916Letter from Edward Carson to Herbert Asquith, 9 May 1916Letter from Herbert Asquith to Edward Carson, 10 May 1916Copy of a letter from John Crozier to Edward Carson, 9 May 1916Letter from J.M. Wilson to Edward Carson, 11 May 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 15 May 1916Letter from David Lloyd George to Edward Carson, 3 June 1916Letter from G.L. Moore to Edward Carson, 6 June 1916Letter from sir William Robert Robertson to Edward Carson, 7 June 1916Letter from Nevil Macready to Edward Carson, 8 June 1916Letter from Arthur Warren Samuels to Edward Carson, 14 June 1916Letter from Frederick Stringer Wrench to Edward Carson, 15 June 1916Letter from Somerset Francis Saunderson to Edward Carson, 15 June 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 17 June 1916Letter from Somerset Francis Saunderson to Edward Carson, 17 June 1916Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 21 June 1916Letter from Ronald McNeill to Edward Carson, 22 June 1916Letter from John Crozier to Edward Carson, 26 June 1916Letter from Charles F. Down to Edward Carson, 28 June 1916Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 29 June 1916Letter from Archibald Salvidge to Edward Carson, 30 June 1916Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 1 July 1916Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 3 July 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 5 July 1916Letter from Horace Plunkett to Edward Carson, 5 July 1916Letter from Charles F Down to Edward Carson, 8 June 1916Letter from Herbert Samuel to Edward Carson, 13 July 1916Letter from William Martin to Edward Carson, 13 July 1916Letter from Travers R. Blackley to Edward Carson, 11 July 1916Letter from Travers R. Blackley to Edward Carson, 13 July 1916Letter from Pembroke Wicks to Edward Carson, 14 July 1916Letter from Somerset Francis Saunderson to Edward Carson, 15 July 1916Letter from Edward Carson to William Martin, 17 July 1916Letter from Herbert Samuel to Edward Carson, 21 July 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 21 July 1916Letter from John Strachey to Edward Carson, 27 July 1916Letter from Alexander McDowell to Edward Carson, 5 October 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 7 October 1916Letter from Sharman D Neill to Edward Carson, 7 October 1916Letter from John Strachey to Edward Carson, 7 October 1916Letter from Rosalind Hamilton to Edward Carson, 10 October 1916Letter to Edward Carson, 14 October 1916Letter from David Lloyd George to Edward Carson, 14 October 1916Letter from J. Beatty to Edward Carson, 16 October 1916Letter from Edward Carson to Richard Dawson Bates, 21 April 1919 51 Royal Avenue, Belfast, Co. Antrim, Ireland Letter from Alexander McDowell to Edward Carson, 5 October 1916