to that system. Colonial representation in the present
Imperial Parliament is an altogether impracticable alternative. The
suggestion had often been made for the American Colonies at the height
of their discontent, later for Canada as an alternative to the Act of
1791, and in recent times also. The same fallacious idea underlay the
Union of Ireland with Great Britain and her representation in
Parliament, while retaining colonial institutions. At present the
prospects of Imperial Federation seem to be indifferent. On the other
hand, the affection between all branches of our race which is the
indispensable groundwork of Federation becomes visibly stronger, and
will become stronger, provided that we do not revert to the ancient and
discredited policy either of dictating to the Colonies or taking sides
with one or another of the parties within them, provided also that the
Colonies in their growing strength do not dictate to us or take sides
with one or other of our parties.

But, whatever the prospects of Imperial Federation, so long as the
present situation lasts, there is no reason for giving a self-governing
Ireland more control over Imperial matters affecting the self-governing
Colonies than the self-governing Colonies themselves possess. The
present position is illogical enough; that would be to render it doubly
illogical. Representation of Ireland, therefore, at Westminster, on the
ground that she should take part in settling matters of the widest
Imperial purport, is indefensible. The alternative and much more
effectual method, as with the Colonies, is Conference.

(2-4) But it is when we come to regard the United Kingdom as a
self-contained entity that the difficulty of retaining Irish Members at
Westminster appears most formidable. If we discard the Federal solution
we must discard it wholeheartedly, not from a pedantic love of logic,
but to avoid real, practical anomalies which might cause the whole
political machine to work even worse than it does at present. From what
I have written, it will be seen at once that to retain the Irish Members
in the House of Commons, while giving Ireland responsible government,
would be to set up a kind of hybrid system, retaining the disadvantages
of the Union without gaining the advantages of Federalism. A Federal
system needs a Federal Parliament, which we have not got, and shall not
get for a long time yet. To introduce into it a quasi-Federal element is
to mix oil with water