are finally and
decisively condemned by their consequences. That is a straightforward
utilitarian argument, and has nothing whatever to do with inherent and
divine rights, or any other form of political moonshine.

There are some who believe that an honest centralized administration of
impartial officials, and not Local Self-Government, would best meet the
real wants of the people. In other words, everything is to be for the
people, nothing by the people--which has not hitherto been a Liberal
principle. Something, however, may be said for this view, provided that
the source of the authority of such an administration be acceptable.
Austrian administration in Lombardy was good rather than bad, yet it was
hated and resisted because it was Austrian and not Italian. No rational
person can hold for an instant that the source of a scheme of
government is immaterial to its prosperity. More than that, when people
look for success in the government of Ireland to "honest centralized
administration," we cannot but wonder what fault they find with the
administration of Ireland to-day in respect of its honesty or its
centralization. What administration ever carried either honesty or
centralization to a higher pitch than the Irish administration of Mr.
Forster? What could be less successful? Those who have been most
directly concerned in the government of Ireland, whether English or
Irish, even while alive to the perils of any other principle, habitually
talk of centralization as the curse of the system. Here, again, why
should we expect success in the future from a principle that has so
failed in the past?

Again, how are we to get a strong centralized administration in the face
of a powerful and hostile parliamentary representation? It is very easy
to talk of the benefits that might have been conferred on Ireland by
such humanity and justice as was practised by Turgot in his
administration of the Generality of Limoges. But Turgot was not
confronted by eighty-six Limousin members of an active sovereign body,
all interested in making his work difficult, and trusted by a large
proportion of the people of the province with that as their express
commission. It is possible to have an honest centralized administration
of great strength and activity in India, but there is no Parliament in
India. If India, or any province of it, ever gets representative
government and our parliamentary system, from that hour, if there be any
considerable s