Page:Life and death of the Irish parliament.djvu/60



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there no other grievance crying for it, that monstrous incubus of the Church Establishment were suffici invoke it. I turn to Montesquieu, who sa wherever the legislative becomes as corrupt as~ cutive, that nation will fall”.* English legislatio favourable to Ireland, and whatever rays of justic directed to it, are refracted in. the atmosphere that surrounds the executive. — It appears on the bench, on the board of guardians, on the grand jury. stream of juStice appears polluted at its outfa is not free from pollution at its source. Till a- generous spirit actuates the English, there is not cient representation for Ireland. These are the lesso I derive from contemplating the causes of decline tot Irish Parliament. The result, of course, may be s to the empire, but no less sure than to the Irish. liament. There is not a system of education, a p law system, in harmony with the feelings of the pe There is not a due fence thrown around the suftr “The object of qualification”, says Blackstone, “is” raise the voter above influence’. + NeedI repeat the unnatural relations of landlord and tenant rend this impossible? Want of representation is a reflectic or its necessity, that comes from a review of the Parliament. We feel the same want now. It gay death-blow to that parliament, and, as sure as the row’s sun, it will tell with the same result on ‘the Im perial Parliament. soe.


 * Montesquieu, Spiret of Laws. T Commentaries, p. ee

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