The sun., 1892-02-21

l
they could not venture TO go again befor
the country without giving proof OF at leas
wish TO fulfil them. A demonstration
good faith was the more Indispensable be
cause in the interim county councils ha'
been created In Great Britain. and the loca
powers formerly monopolized by th'
squrearchy had been transferred to TIT
mass Of the community.
Under these circumstances the duty
OF tho dissidcnt Liberals wns plain. ant
even n correct perception OF their 20
litical interest should have prompted then
to perform 1t. Had they insisted upon Civ
ing ireland n system of county councils
absolutely identical with that now lin force
In England, they would have cxtorted even
from their enemies an acknowledgement oI
their sincerity. They might not have been
| ablc to check tho flood Of sympathy which
is now bearing Mr.. GLADSTONE to power,
but they would have kept firm hold on
the respect and confidence of thoughtful
men, and. they might have given Mr.. GLAD
STONE great trouble when he entered on the
| difficult task of formulating n homo rule
project satisfactory alike to English Lib
erals and Irish Nationaists.
Such course as we have outlined would
have been dgnicd aud honest. and we ro-
peat that even from Il selfish viewpoint 1t
would have proved iudicious. Instead OF
pursuing IL. the dissidcnt Liberals have
sacrificed their profcssed principles and
wishes to Tory prcjudiccs and rancors. and
have connived at tho production of bill
which is mockcry. What the Tories pro-
pose for Ireland is not county councils like
fl,pu i,1l Hahn in, lif iSt
councils controlling small local sub-divi-
sions, in which series Of precautions are
taken to minimize tho powers OF tho ma
jority. wherever this happens to be M
tional. There is. in the first place. u device
for securing the representation OF minori-
ties. to which perhaps no objection would
be taken If it stood hy itself and IL recourse
had been made to it in the case Of England
and Scotland Not satisfied. however. with
assuring the representation Of minorities.
Mr.. BAJForR goes on to announce thnt
only II certain proportion Of the seats would
be elective, the remainder being filed by
appointccs of tho Lord Lieutenant. The
spokesman OF the Tory landlords is not
content even with these safeguards against
tho possible abuse Of power by Ma
tionalist members of n district coun-
Gil, for he forcsees that IL Mr.. GLAD
STONE were Primo Minister tho appolntees
of the Lord Lieutenant might sympnthze
and cooperate with their Nationalist fellow
members. So he proceeds to provide that
upon the demand Of twenty rate payers a
member of n district council may be tried
on charge of using his powers unfairly or
oppressivcly. and that this trial shall take
nil hat Ind NIL i,,ry hn
Judges, it must be remembered. are us q
body notoriously friendly to the land-own
ing interest. But Mr.. BALrouR's arrange
ments for trammelling and paralyzing a
Nationalist majority in II given district do
not stop here. If a member, nrraigned on q
Charge of unfair or oppressive conduct. is
pronounced guilty by Il partisan Judge. the
seat thercupon made vacant is not !llcd by
but by appointment of the Lord
Lieutenant. That is to say. not only is the
accused person punished. but his constitu-
cncy is robbed Of it's franchise.
1t was inevitable that such measure as
this should be received with ridicule by dis
Interested people. and with wrath and in
by the Irish Sationalists. who are
It's intended victims. 1t is to be feared.
however. that Mr. BALFoUR. II he really
cares about the bill, will have strength to
pass it. and in that case it will remain the
law of the land until the Gladstonians are
able not only to control the House Of Com
mons but to ovcrawe the House Of Peers. 1t |
is already clear. however. that such n cyni-
cal and insolent denial Of tho equitable |
claims Of Irishmen to be treated like their |
English fellow subjects. will complete the |
ruin Of the Unionsts at the general election. |