Page:Home rule through federal devolution.djvu/24

 States were defined in the federating statute, leaving all powers not so conferred to the Central Government, the fear of any sort of partial legislation, or unfair administration, would be greatly abated, if not wholly removed. By such an arrangement as this it might be hoped that the strong feeling in Ulster hostile to Irish self-government would be so mitigated that the demand of the six counties for partition might be withdrawn, whilst, on the other hand, the reasonable national feeling of Ireland ought to be satisfied by it, and a way opened for the gratification of the lawful ambition of her patriotic citizens, without the very grave risks to the Kingdom and the Empire inherent in every plan of Home Rule yet suggested, particularly in that form of it which is called Dominion Self-government.

Under such a federal constitution, the central Parliament would be set free from an enormous mass of work which now clogs the wheels both of general legislation and of imperial administration, and would gain immensely in dignity; moreover, if the Dominions could be brought into the scheme, as members of a super-federation, the Imperial Parliament might in a short time accrete to itself a new prestige, unrealisable under existing conditions. The question of the federation of the Empire is, however, for the future; it is not as yet one of practical politics. It is mentioned here because it appears to me that not only would there be no incompatibility between a federated United Kingdom and an Imperial Super-Federation, which many thinkers, both at home and abroad, are looking forward to, but the adoption of the federal principle for the Kingdom would, I believe, prove to have facilitated the adoption of the principle on the imperial scale, would indeed pave the way to a solution of the question of a permanent league between the Mother-country and her self-governing offshoots, which, second only to the proposed League of Nations, is the greatest question now before the English-speaking nations of the world.

In considering proposals for the devolution of much of