ly safeguard their independence. The lower House would be
composed of the men whom Nationalist constituencies already return to
Parliament--excitable, fierce partisans, always ready to subordinate
private convictions to the exigencies of party discipline. Nor would
there be in Ireland under Home Rule any power or influence, either of
property or station, sufficiently strong to furnish a constituency which
would return a senate representing interests, opinions, or desires
substantially distinct from those of the more powerful House elected
upon the wider suffrage.

The situation has been strongly complicated by the promulgation of the
_Motu Proprio_ decree, and the refusal of the authorities of the Roman
Catholic Church to say definitely whether it applies to Ireland or not.
We may assume that, if Archbishop Walsh could have given a categorical
denial to the statement that the decree must operate in Ireland under
Home Rule, he would have done so. The decree _Motu Proprio_ forbids any
Roman Catholic to bring his priest or bishop into court under pain of
excommunication. The Roman Catholic Church has made many similar efforts
during history to oust the jurisdiction of the ordinary courts, and each
attempt has had to be sharply and sternly resisted by the civil
authorities of Roman Catholic countries. We need not discuss how much
there may be said from a theological standpoint for the decree; we are
only concerned to show that it raises pretensions which no State can
possibly permit to be recognised. There have been too many attempts,
successful and unsuccessful, to oust the jurisdiction of the King's
Courts in Ireland, for this new attempt to be viewed with equanimity.
The United Irish League has set up courts which try men for imaginary
offences committed during the exercise of their ordinary civil rights,
and pass illegal sentences and inflict illegal punishments. Under the
reign of Liberal Governments the writ of these courts runs where the
King's writ cannot run, and the law of the League has been allowed in
great measure to supersede the law of the land. We have also an
increasing force in Irish Nationalism which seeks to paralyse the
government of Ireland by means of the general or sympathetic strike.
This organisation seeks to establish courts in Ireland in opposition to
the ordinary law courts, and to enforce their decrees by means of
illegal intimidation and outrage. The people of Ireland have therefore
been famil