Page:Home rule through federal devolution.djvu/8

 State on legislation affecting it. Artificial protective devices such as these are always to be deprecated, and, if possible, avoided. Equal representation, which in itself constitutes a veto, was tried in Canada with the very same object, that of reconciling different races and religions. The result was confusion, and ultimately a deadlock, under which the constitution of 1840 broke down.

I have not had the hardihood to put forward any plan of my own for the future government of Ireland, but have contented myself with the less ambitious task of stating what seem to me to be the most salient and characteristic features of the puzzle, directing special attention to some points which do not seem to have been sufficiently considered by those who have hitherto been engaged in the endeavour to solve it. It will be seen that there is, on many of these points, considerable similarity between the views I have tried to present in the following pages and those of the writers of the instructive series of "special articles" on which The Times&apos; scheme is based.

Both in the "special articles" and in the scheme, The Times foreshadows as not far off, a system of federal devolution for the United Kingdom; and the provisions of the scheme are adapted to the intention ot its being fitted in hereafter in such a general reconstruction. No doubt to the influence of this prevision is due the seeming complexity of some parts of the framework of the scheme as well as a general air of temporary expedience.

As a part of a scheme of general federalisation, a constitution for Irish self-government might be constructed which, whilst it would not satisfy the visionary desires of extremists, would yet go so far towards meeting the legitimate aspirations of Irishmen, that it could not be refused. On the other hand, it will be extremely difficult to "impose on Ireland"—as The Times itself recognises to be a necessity—on no stronger ground than the expectation of such a reconstruction in an undefined future (however sanguine we may be of its nearness), a scheme which, in its essential features, differs