The final stage of tne Irish Free State Citizenship BIll was passed today, by the Dall Eireann by 81 votes 0
Mr. Frank MacDermot, of the 'United Ireland Party, who opposed the measure, declared that it was a [bogus step towards a 32 counties' public, which was not attalnabl In reply, Mr. Eamon de Valera, President of the Irish Free Stata, clared that the alm of the Bill' to remove from Irish Law any sug gestion that the Irish were British subjects. They could not. alter a British act, he stated, but, if the British would remove from their statute the suggestion that the po of the Irish Free State. were claimed as British subjects, the Irish Free State would welcome such a step.
The Bill, Mr. de Valera continued, was removed from common status far as Irish law was concerned, but unfortunately, they could not got the British to release the grip they always had on the Irish people by regarding them as British subjects.
'The Bill is a complex measure conferring on Irishmen Free State citizenship which it is hoped by the gov. ernment' will be legally valid throughout the world. Tt is learne however, that, in practice, Irishmen are likely to have two nationalities—Free Stale and British—which they will be able to use according to their
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.
