SIR,--At last a ray of sanity has fallen like oil on the troubled
waters of the Irish controversy and has given a well-merited cold
douche to the extremists on either side. It is now acknowledged
that what for want of a better term I may call the Federal Solution
holds the field, and any attempt to expel it will only plunge the
objector still deeper in the mire and cover him with ridicule from
head to foot.
Long ago I adumbrated in the clearest possible way the fundamental
outlines of this solution, and every hour which has passed has only
sufficed, to strengthen a conviction which was already so deeply
rooted as to be beyond the reach of hostile argument. What is now
required to be done may be stated in a nutshell. Let the Government
withdraw the present Home Rule Bill. They will thus dispose at once
of the opposition of Mr. BONAR LAW, Sir EDWARD CARSON, Mr. J. L.
GARVIN and Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIEN, and will provide themselves with a
clean slate, which will be a peg on which any subsequent plan may
be hung. Then let them bring in a Bill (or four or more Bills, if
deemed necessary) for conferring autonomous governments on all the
counties of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, every county to
have the option of excluding itself for a period of not less than
fifty or more than a hundred years by a majority of two-thirds of
its electorate, women to count as two on a division. At the same
time let the House of Lords be so reconstituted as to become in
truth an Imperial Legislature, subject, however, to the veto of a
new and impartial body to be composed of Field-Marshals,
Archbishops, Judges and retired Lieutenant-Governors. Our Oversea
Dominions could come into this scheme at any moment, if so desired.
To this plan I can see no objections whatever except, perhaps, that
its execution will take time and will stand in the way of other
legislation--but anything that is worth doing takes time, and, for
my own part, I want no other legislation.
Yours, etc.,
JAMES B. HORNBLOWER,
Organising Secretary,
Society of Federationists.