m of small constituencies, the men of intermediate views
like those of Mr. Sloan or of the members of the Reform Association
would, even though they existed in much larger numbers than is the case,
not secure any great measure of representation, but in comparatively
large constituencies this would not be so.

The attitude of the Nationalists in anticipation of the Government
proposal of last session was expressed by Mr. Redmond, speaking on St.
Patrick's Day at Bradford:--

"If the scheme gave the Irish people genuine power and control over
questions of administration alone, if it left unimpaired the National
movement and the National Party, and if it lightened the financial
burden under which Ireland staggered, then very possibly Ireland might
seriously consider whether such a scheme ought not to be accepted for
what it was worth."

The Irish Council Bill, as all the world knows, proposed to set up in
Dublin an administrative Council, consisting of 82 elected, 24
nominated, members, with the Under Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant as
an _ex officio_ member. This body was to have control over eight of the
forty-five departments which constitute "Dublin Castle"--namely, those
relating to Local Government, Public Works, National Education,
Intermediate Education, the Registrar-General's Office, Public Works,
the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, Congested
Districts, and Reformatory Schools. The nature of the departments
excluded from its jurisdiction is of more consequence, including as they
do the Supreme Court of Judicature, the Royal Irish Constabulary, the
Dublin Metropolitan Police, the Land Commission, and the Prisons' Board.

The Bill proposed that the Council should be elected triennially on the
same franchise as that on which local authorities are at present
elected, and its powers were to be exercised by four Committees--of
Local Government, Finance, Education, and Public Works--the decisions of
which were to come up before the Council as a whole, for alteration or
approval. The Bill proposed to constitute an Irish Treasury with an
Irish fund of L4,000,000, made up of the moneys at present voted to the
departments concerned, together with an additional L650,000. The sums
paid into this fund were to be fixed by the Imperial Parliament every
five years. Finally, the resolutions of the Council, by Clause 3 of the
Bill, were subject to the confirmation of the Lord Lieutenant, who, by
the same c