The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-17
The Proposed Local Government for
Ireland.

Inc lIoChl government IOf
Ireland.
The Salisbury Government has promised
to introduce n bill for the local government
of Ireland Mt the next session of Parlia-
ment. Is the measure likely to prove n
genuine installment of home rule or an
unwelcome substitute for it2 That is n
question in which Irishmen all over the
world are interested, and they will, con-
sequently, like to hear what Mr.. JOHN f.
REDMOND, the leader Of the Parncllite
party, has to say on the subject. His views
are set forth at length in the current num-
Der of the Nineteenth Century.
What is the nature Of the existing sys-
TEN Of local government in Ireland9 This
we must know in order to determine
whether the proposed changes will be real
improvements. The character of the eX-
isting system has never been better de-
scrihed than it was in July, 1855, by Mr..
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, who did not then
conceive 1t possible that he would ever
become a member Of a Tory Cabinet. The
more critically, he said, the scheme Of Irish
administration is examined throughout all
Its branches the more clearly will 1t be
seen that it is an embodiment of the prin-
ciple OF government which declares that
the mass of the people in any country have
nothing to do with the laws except to obey
them. If" he added, "thc object of the
Government were to p~aralyze local effort,
to annihilate local responsibility, and daily
to give emphasis to the fact that the whole
country is under the domination of an alien
race, no system could be devised more
lilo1v To uacpra tic ,I;..t than That nny- L.,
force in Ireland" 1t is true that, when he
wrote thus, Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN was speak
ing not only of the grand juries, the boards
of guardians. and other strictly local bodies,
but also of that central machinery in Dub
liz which goes by the name Of 1.-THE Cas-.
tie" What is true, however, of the whole,
is true of each of its parts. Every
local public body at present existing in
Ireland is Objectionable, either because 1t
is non-elcctivc. and, therefore, non-rcprc-
sentative, or because it is elected on so re.
stricted n franchise that it is representa-
tive only in nainc In either case it is con-
trolled during every hour of it's existence
by an outside authority, responsible not to
Irish, but TO English public opinion.
The grand juries, for instance, which are
the chief local authorities in the Irish coun.
ties, are altogether non-elective and in prac.
tice represent only the landlord class. The
Lord Lieutenant, who is always a member
OF the Government of the day, selects the
Shcrins, and the Sherlffs select the grand
juries, the only restriction on their freedom
of choice being that they are supposed to
give representation TO every section of a
county, and n preference therein to those
who possess the largest property qualitica-
tions. Bodies thus constituted are obvious
ly without n shadow Of purely representa-
tive authority, yet to them Is intrusted a
vast amount of important administrative
work. To them, in addition to their share
in the work OF administering the criminal
law, belongs the appointment of all county
officials; the erection, construction, repair,
and maintenance of all county works; the
allotment, levying, and spending of the
produce of an impost amounting to nearly
$7,5OO,O00 a year; and the admins.
tration OF various acts Of Parliament,
such IA those which provide for the
establishment and maintenance of indus.
trial and reformatory schools. Indirectly
their power goes further still. The IRE.
sponsible grand jurics, which are selected
by appointees of the Lord Lieutenant,
have the power of constituting other
bodies, which, of course, are equally ire.
sponsible; for example, they nominate the
members OF the boards which control tho
affairs Of the four inland navigation dis.
tricts Of Ireland. 1t is true that the initia-
ton of ordinary county expenditures does
not rest with the grand jury, but with a
mixed body Of magistrates and ccsspayers
this latterbody is itself, however, non-elect-
i've, and the portion of it supposed to repre-,
sent the persons who pay the grand Jury cess
can never be anything but Il minority, ex,
cept by the grace of tho landlord element.
Mr.. REpMoED's comment on this fact Is
that the Polish provinces of Russia have
infinitely more real sclf-government in Local
matters than is conceded to Ireland under
the grand jury system.
In the case of poor,law guardians there il
some preface Of giving the ratepayers con
troll. In tho first place, however, onc.hali
of every board consists Of eX-oficio mem
bcra. The largest ratepayers in each poor
law union, who happen to bc magistrates
become members of the board without APP
plication on their part or any inquiry as t.
their qualifications. AS all magistrates