the Empire or an impairment
of Imperial powers would probably be a consequence of passing the Irish
Government Bill and the Irish Land Bill. And, first, as to the
circumstances which would seem to recommend the Irish Home Rule Bill.

Ireland, from the very commencement of her connection with England, has
chafed under the restraints which that connection imposed. The closer
the apparent union between the two countries the greater the real
disunion. The Act of 1800, _in words and in law_, effected not a union
merely, but a consolidation of the two countries. The effect of those
words and that law was to give rise to a restless discontent, which has
constantly found expression in efforts to procure the repeal of the Act
of Union and the reestablishment of a National Parliament in Dublin. How
futile have been the efforts of the British Parliament to diminish by
concession or repress by coercion Irish aspirations or Irish discontent
it is unnecessary to discuss here. All men admit the facts, however
different the conclusions which they draw from those facts. What Burke
said of America on moving in 1775 his resolution on conciliation with
the colonies was true in 1885 with respect to Ireland:--

"The fact is undoubted, that under former Parliaments the state of
America [read for America, Ireland] has been kept in continual
agitation. Everything administered as remedy to the public complaint, if
it did not produce, was at least followed by an heightening of the
distemper, until, by a variety of experiments, that important country
has been brought into her present situation--a situation which I will
not miscall, which I dare not name, which I scarcely know how to
comprehend in the terms of any description."[12]

At length, after the election of 1885, Mr. Gladstone and the majority of
his followers came to the conclusion that an opportunity had presented
itself for providing Ireland with a Constitution conferring on the
people of that country the largest measure of self-government consistent
with the absolute supremacy of the Crown and the Imperial Parliament and
the entire unity of the Empire. A scheme was proposed which was accepted
in principle by the representatives of the National party in Ireland as
a fair and sufficient adjustment of the Imperial claims of Great Britain
and the Local claims of Ireland. The scheme was shortly this. A
Legislative Assembly was proposed to be established in Ireland with
power to make all la