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1912 January: In the Ulster Province the Ulster Unionist Council who were against Irish Home Rule was now training a military force known as the Ulster Volunteer Force after receiving sanction from their local magistrates, which kept them within the law, and they were ready to neutralise the British Army.

February: James Craig the future Ulster Unionist leader in Belfast in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province while on a speaking engagement came out demanding British Military assistance for protection and his car was overturned by Ulster men and he had to be protected by the British Military and the R.I.C. police. - Andrew Bonar - Law the British Conservative Opposition leader was now joined by the Ulster Unionist Council. - A meeting of the Ulster Unionists took place at Craigavon the residence of James Craig near Belfast were over 50,000 attended who now intended to form their own parliament in the Ulster Province.

April 9th: Andrew Bonar - Law the new British Conservative leader, met with Edward Carson the day before the Westminster Parliament assembled during a semi - military demonstration in Belfast in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province and recalled the, "Battle of the Boyne" and he informed him that the Conservative Party, "Regarded their cause as the cause of the Empire." April 11th: Herbert Asquith the Liberal British Prime Minister introduced the 3rd Irish Home Bill into the Westminster House of Commons, which offered only a narrow autonomy in Ireland with an All Ireland Parliament only responsible for domestic affairs who would have to wait 6 years before they could have control over the R.I.C. police. The Irish Nationalist Constitutionalists were willing to accept it while the Sinn Fein Party under Arthur Griffith's leadership had condemned it but popular opinion in Ireland was for it as they were expecting Irish Home Rule to cure all their ills and they gave John Redmond their support. Meanwhile the Ulster Unionists and the Conservatives attacked the Bill at every opportunity and it was rejected once again by the British House of Lords and Herbert Asquith the leader of the British Liberal Government proposed to bring it forward once again at a later date. If it was passed 3 times in the House of Commons it would then automatically become law within another 2 years, regardless of the veto by the Conservative controlled House of Lords. At this time David Lloyd - George the future British Prime Minister and Winston Churchill were both against giving those who were against it in the Ulster Province any other option. April 24^th: Major Frederick Crawford who was to later sign the Solemn League & Covenant with his own blood, in the meantime landed German rifles and ammunition into Larne in the Ulster Province in preparation for armed conflict against the British Government and any chance of Irish Home Rule.

June 11th: An Amendment was moved by the M.P. Agar - Robertes to exclude Co. Antrim, Co. Armagh, Co. Derry & Co. Down from Irish Home Rule as, "Orange bitters wouldn't mix with Irish whiskey," and attach them to Scotland and Edward Carson was against it as he admitted he could not hold onto only 4 Counties and instead wanted 6 Counties out of the whole 9 Counties of the Ulster Province of Ireland. The Amendment was defeated but it made the Unionists realise the actual situation, and the Irish people that only force would ever give them back their Country.

A Government of Ireland Bill was passed to nominate the Irish Senate for 8 years and for the Irish House of Commons to have 164 elected members for 5 years with 42 members to go to the Westminster House of Commons, but it was never to come into operation.

July: Andrew Bonar - Law the British Conservative leader addressed a political rally at Blenheim and told them that he, "Could not imagine the length of resistance to which the Ulster Unionists would go in which he would not support them" and Sectarian Violence once again broke out in Belfast in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province as the emotions of the non - Catholics was vented on the Irish Catholics there. - Winston Churchill the 1^st British Lord of the Admiralty and Jack Seely the British Secretary of State for War organized 25,000 troops, as well as the 3^rd Battalion Squadron and 4^th Destroyer Flotilla to assemble in the Firth of Clyde opposite Co. Antrim in the north - east of Ulster to increase the pressure on the Ulster Unionists. - Sir Neville Mac Ready the British General was now posted as the Belfast General Officer in the Ulster Province to control the R.I.C as well as the British Infantry there.

September 28th: The Ulster Unionist Council under Edward Carson declared a public holiday to carry out a demonstration against Irish Home Rule where a Solemn League and Covenant was signed by 218,000 people in the Belfast City Hall in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province and it was supported by the non - Catholic religious ministers there including both the Church of England - Ireland and the Presbyterian in which it gave loyalty to the Crown of England although intending to create rebellion to maintain the Ascendancy.

November 12^th: Ronald Mac Neill - Lord Cushendun - hurled a copy of the Standby Orders at Winston Churchill in the Westminster House of Commons in England against Irish Home Rule as he was with the Unionists.

The Catholic clergy by now had gained much in strength and respect overall among the population in Ireland and also amongst the politicians so they began to speak up louder on behalf of the people and along with the Irish League and the Labour organizations the momentum of the Irish Gaelic revival was also increasing in strength. - Thomas James - Tom Clarke the Old Republican ever ready to push the Irish Independence barrow organized a pilgrimage to the gravesite of Theobold Wolfe - Tone the original founder of Irish Republicanism, to counter the visit of the English Royals to Ireland. - Hanna Sheehy - Skeffington joined the Socialist Party and was imprisoned by the British Government for her opposition to the voting rights for women being left out of the 3rd Irish Home Rule Bill. - The Irish Nationalist Constitutionalists in the Westminster Parliament finally had the Irish Home Rule Bill passed but were well aware that it was under threat and so they decided to form their own military organization in co - operation with the I.R.B. and the Sinn Fein Party, which further strengthened the Irish Republican Brotherhood - I.R.B. when they were to organize the Irish National Volunteers. This was an idea put forward by Eoin Mac Neill the vice - President of the Gaelic League whose intention was to set them up for defensive purposes only.

The Unionist propaganda in England began to effect the Liberal Party's outlook there and one of their members in the House of Commons proposed that the Ulster Province be left out of the 3rd Irish Home Bill altogether but this was rejected by the British Liberal Government and John Redmond the Irish Parliamentary Party leader who was desperate for Irish Home Rule told Herbert Asquith the British Liberal Prime Minister that in his opinion the Unionists were bluffing. At the same time the Sinn Fein Party was getting their message through to the Irish people that the 3rd Irish Home Rule Bill that was being offered to Ireland was overall just no good. - Andrew Bonar - Law the Conservative Party leader in England began having secretive talks with Herbert Asquith the British Liberal Prime Minister and between them they pledged unconditional support for the Ulster Unionist's resistance to Irish Home Rule and the previous breakaway Liberal Unionists who had left the Liberal Party in England now joined with the Unionist Conservative Party. - Rudyard Kipling also donated 30,000 pounds toward a 1,000,000 pound fighting fund against the introduction of Irish Home Rule and among their supporters in England were Lord Beresford, Lord Salisbury, Lord Cecil, Lord de Broke and James Campbell. - Arthur Griffith who was the co - founder of the Gaelic League, and the Sinn Fein Party, to try and condition the Irish people to have self - reliance, and who was to become the Father of the Nation, was also totally against the 3rd Irish Home Rule Bill.

Michael Rahilly - The O Rahilly from Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province who was to be eventually killed at the Post Office in Dublin in the future during the 1916 Easter Rising, now joined the Gaelic League. - George William Russell / AE was born in the Ulster Province. - Liam Mellowes who was born in Lancashire in England in 1892 AD but had been reared in Co. Wexford in the south - east of the Leinster Province now also joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood - I.R.B. along with John Mac Dermott and they were both to play a major role in the 1916 Easter Rising that lay ahead. - The British Liberal Minister, David Lloyd - George produced a Military Service Bill - Conscription and the 3rd Irish Home Rule Bill, which had been previously passed was now to be withheld and was great blow to the long time political aspirations and expectations of the Irish Parliamentary Party.

The Catholic Church hierarchy now gave their support to the Sinn Fein Party - Irish Republican Party and in the elections in Ireland the Sinn Fein Party won 73 seats of which in 25 they were uncontested with the Irish Parliamentary Party now only winning 6 seats.

December: Milner wrote to Edward Carson the Ulster Unionist leader stating “Must paralyse the arm of the executioner.”

1912 - 13 Government of Ireland Bill - was to be passed in 1914 and was never to be put into operation under the provisions of the Parliament Act 1911 comprised of a Senate and House of Commons. The Senate was to be nominated by the British Lord Lieutenant for 8 years with a ¼ retiring every year - first batch of Senators to the King. House of Commons - 164 MP's to be elected for 5 years - 42 Irish MP's to go to the Westminster Parliament to the House of Commons - Imperial Parliament and they reserved control over the R.I.C.

+On to 1913

Situated on the western bank of the Hunter River, midway between Muswellbrook and Denman the doorway to the Heart of Australia's "Horse Capital" in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales., Australia.

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RAINBOW FARMS 603 Roxburgh Road., Muswellbrook., 2333.

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