Before going on to the regular business, I would like to move under Section 14 of the Standing Orders that the consideration of this Agenda be postponed at 7 o'clock to discuss a matter of public importance, and I beg to move the following motion:
"To move that under Section 14 of Standing Orders the consideration of this day's Agenda be suspended at 7 p.m., for the discussion of a matter of public importance—namely, that this Dáil being responsible for the government of the country, hereby proclaims the necessity for an immediate Truce, to last not less than fourteen days, with a view to restoring peace, and thus saving the country from economic disaster, and hereby appoints the Commander-in-Chief, the Minister for Education, Mr. Deputy Johnson and Mr. Deputy Fitzgibbon as its delegates to negotiate the terms of the Truce."
I see one of the Ministers smiles at this, but it is the alternative to the monstrous proposal that comes from the Ministerial benches. Peace, all will admit, is essential for the country. I believe in dealing with Irishmen you can deal better by a method such as this than by threatening them with execution.
