ad prevailed there. But for the Irish liberal members
the reform bill for Great Britain could not have been carried, and the
Irish people expected from the liberal representatives of Great Britain
similar support, which was not accorded. This filled the minds of the
Irish with strong resentment, and caused them to agitate for a reform
bill on terms substantially as popular as that accorded to Great
Britain. Moved by considerations of this sort, Lord John Russell
resolved to enlarge the Irish franchise, and a bill was brought in for
that purpose. It was warmly supported by Mr. Hume, Mr. Bright, and other
English members of the liberal party, who desired even a more democratic
measure for Ireland.

The main feature of the bill was the extension of the franchise to all
occupiers of land to the amount of L8 per annum, adopting the rating as
the ultimate standard of value. The bill was read a second time, after a
fierce conservative opposition, which continued until it finally passed
the commons. In the lords it was vehemently opposed by Lord Brougham
upon principles not reconcilable with his well-known political creed.
Lord Desart proposed to raise the qualification to L15, and carried
his proposition. Lord Stanley made a proposal intended to obstruct the
registration, and carried it against the government. In this state the
bill passed.

In the commons the amendments of the lords were discussed with bitter
acrimony, and a strong sense of injury, deepened into resentment, was
circulated in Ireland, when the tidings of the lords' amendments reached
that country. This reacted upon the commons, and the government was
considerably embarrassed by the suspicions and anger of its own general
supporters among the Irish members. Lord John proposed that the commons
should confer with the lords upon the feasibility of establishing a L12
franchise instead of the L8 or the L15. Some other amendments of the
lords were rejected. A conference ensued, and the lords conceded to the
commons on the basis of their new proposals.

BILL FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE LORD-LIEUTENANCY OF IRELAND.

On the 18th of May, the premier moved for leave to bring in a bill for
this purpose. This was one of the many ill-digested and inconsiderate
measures by which Lord John Russell's government was characterised.
The Irish people almost unanimously opposed it, and so did their
representatives. Mr. Shiel, however, who had become a mere ministerial
hack, t