New-York tribune., 1897-08-29
IRELAND AND THE THRONE.
THE PROPOSAL TO ABOLISH THE VICE
ROYALTY AND ESTABLISH a
ROYAL RESIDENCE.
ROYAL RESIDENCE.


of the British Government, to abolish the Office
OF Niceroy cf Ireland. and 10 devote a PORTION. If
not all. OF The money thus saved to the mai"tcn-
ance of n royal residence in the Emerald Isle
1t is a proposal that has been brought forward
several occasions during the Queens reign
and is known TO have the warm approval Of Her
Majesty. it enjoyed that of the late Prince
Consort The present visit OF the Duke and
Duchess of York To the sister kingdom has led to
its revival. and there is every irason to believe
that the Earl of Cadogan. who now rules as
King" at Dublin Castle will prove TO be the
last Of long line Of Lords Lieutenant. In his
stead there will lie Secretary of state FOR the
Kingdom Of Ireland, just as there is one for the
Kingdom Of Scotland who will have seat i'll
the Cabinet. and make his headquarters in Lon
don during the legislative season. only soJourh-
ing the banks of the Lifey when Parliament
Is prorogued.
As matters stand now the C.iicial who really
directs the Irish administration. who is respons-
bic for it and supposed to represent it in Parlia-
mont. has seat in the Cabinet and IS forc'd 10
content himself with the title Of Secretary To the
Viceroy. This latter. whose functions are Amos
entirely Of an ornamental character. and who IS
to all intents and purposes a mere decorative
fgurchead, and ordinarily selected FOR the posi-
on account of his wealth rather than 10y reason OF
Cabinet True. there have been times where the
contrast between the intellectual and pohtlcai
status of the Viceroy and of the Secretary has
been so marked-as. for instance. when Loru
Londonderry was King and Mr Arthur h'''-
four Srcretary-t that the former was LETT out ol
the Cabinet while the latter was included there
in But that merely served to intensity the ahoh-
alv of the situation since ii practically rendered
the Lord Lieutenant the subordinate OF MS OWN
Secretary Indeed, 10 matter when way one
looks at the Viceroyal;y, its existence Is oo'h !"
logical and devoid of common sense and reason
In the past objections were raised to It's apoi'loh
on TIE ground that it would impair the risn's o
Ireland 10 be considered as a distinct kihShom'
and that II would cndanger whatever prospects
she might have of eventually obtaining tha' au-
tonomy for which the Nationaiists nave oec"
6cbtinp so long. But these apprehensions have
djsappeared since the Home Rulers nave real
ized the extent to which Canada and other
transpontine dependencies of Great Britain nave
secured self government although subject TO 'he
sunervision and judciously exercised control OF
a Secretary of State for the Colonies occupying
q seat in the Cabinet in London. Indeed. there
ia every reason to believe that FAR from peii6
injured the cause of Home Rule woud pe us
tinctly advanced by the abolition OF the VICE
ROYALTY and the establishment of an irish oecre-
taryship of State instead. since the Natioha"s''
would then have far stronger GROUNDS lo' ue
,oanainp tho same degree Of selfgovernrnent as
that conceded to Australia. Canada and South
Africa
AN ARGUMENT FOR IT'S RETENTION.
nv those few who have been in favor OF the re-
,ontion Of the office of Vceroy it has been suS
eested that the prestige and the dignity as well
as its popularity might be increased were IL 10
be vested in the person Of some member or the
reigning family and ii has even been urged that
e vou,d contribute to revive the loyalty OF Ire
land to the Crown. Neither the Queen nor any OF
her relatives has. however. seen the way 10 couh-
tenance this proposal For, in the first place.
the Viceroy as the principal emblem OF Englsh
authority in Ireland has TO bear the main pruht
Of odium in connection with any arbitrary meas
nre that the Cabinet Of the day may see lit TO I'M
nose upon the Emerald Isle. and the unpopuiarl-
tv and resentment now directed me.ely against
the Government would extend through any royal
nrince who might hold office as Nceroy TO the
reipning family, which is yet held by the
Irish TO a great degree unaccountable Tor the
unjust treatment that has fallen to the share OF
Erin Queen Victoria as a constitutional soVer-
eigp is often forced to give way to the wishes
of pa,liament and the administration for the
time being and to sanction things 10 which she
is opposed. But she does not see any advantage
TO be derived by the Crown in Identifying either
herself or her children still more than at present
with acts Of policy that are sometimes dictated
more by partisan spirit than by any sense OF
Justice or public interest