t pleases.

The same superfluous words appeared in Sub-clause (No. 9) about
Corporations.

THE IRISH LEGISLATURE.[176]

As I urged in Chapter X., this is a subject in which large powers of
constitutional revision--much larger than those contained in either of
the Home Rule Bills--should be given to the Irish Legislature itself,
corresponding to the powers given by statute to the self-governing
Colonies, and to the powers always held by the constituent States of a
Federation. In the Bill itself it would be wisest to follow beaten
tracks as far as possible, and not to embark on experiments. Present
conditions are, unhappily, very unfavourable for the elaboration of any
scheme ideally fit for Ireland.

_A Bi-Cameral Legislature._--Working on this principle, we must affirm
that Ireland's position, without representation in the Imperial
Parliament, would certainly make a Second Chamber requisite. Three of
the Provinces within the Federation of Canada (Manitoba, British
Columbia, and Ontario) prefer to do without Second Chambers--so do most
of the Swiss Cantons--but all the Federal Legislatures of the world are
bi-cameral, and all the unitary Constitutions of self-governing Colonies
have been, or are, bi-cameral.

_The Upper Chamber._--One simple course would be to constitute the Upper
Chamber of a limited number of Irish Peers, chosen by the whole of their
number, as they are chosen at present for representation in the House of
Lords. Historical and practical considerations render this course out of
the question, though some people would be fairly sanguine about the
success of such a body in commanding confidence, on the indispensable
condition that all representation at Westminster were to cease. It has
been membership, before the Union of an ascendency Parliament, and after
the Union of an absentee Parliament, which has kept the bulk of the
Irish peerage in violent hostility to the bulk of the Irish people.
Those Peers who seek and obtain a career in an Irish popular
Legislature--to both branches of which they will, of course, be
eligible--will be able to do valuable service to their country. The same
applies to all landlords. Now that land reform is converting Ireland
itself into a nation of small landholders, who, in most countries, are
very Conservative in tendency, the ancient cleavage is likely to
disappear. Indeed, an ideal Second Chamber ought perhaps to give special
weight to urban and industrial interests,