Confidential report from John W. Dulanty to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)
(Secret Report No. 12)

To-day when I handed to Mr. Noel-Baker your Aide-Mémoire on the subject of British Nationality Bill,¹ he said after careful reading, it was a good note and he was glad to have it.

His Government were determined to refuse to accept the amendments which the House of Lords had made. I said I was surprised at the attitude of the Marquis of Salisbury in the Lords Debate and Mr. Noel-Baker said 'we intend in this matter to smash the Lords to smithereens'. He promised that in the debate it would be made perfectly clear that they had failed to satisfy the Irish Government on certain aspects of the Bill.

As I mentioned to you over the telephone, there was a sparse attendance in the House of Commons to-day and Sir David Maxwell Fyfe's² contribution was rather laboured and academic. You will, of course, see the full report of the Debate in Hansard.

LATER
The Debate is fairly reported in the principal papers but the only comment, as you will see, is the Leader in to-day's Times.

The Committee stage, I understand, is likely to be taken next week. I gather that the Opposition intends to put up a stiff fight. I do not know whether our Government are much concerned about the Westminster progress of the Bill, but in view of the fact that there may be orations from the Unionist Members from the Six Counties, would it be worth while our briefing one or two of the Labour Back Benchers for the next Debate?