The Prime Minister went on to make an announcement which,
though not unexpected, was the most momentous in his speech. It was that Irish Home Rule is only the .first step in a larger and more comprehensive policy of Federalism, or Home Rule all round. But the Liberal Party has already pledged itself (by a resolution passed last year) that, when Federalism is adopted, whatever terms are given to Ireland shall be given to Scotland and Wales. This means that, when the full federal system is at work, England will have to pay not only the whole of the Irish subsidy, but subsidies of proportionate amount to Scot- land and Wales. At the same time the Scottish and Welsh taxpayers will presumably pay nothing towards the National Debt or the Army and Navy. In addition, Scotland and Wales will, of course, have a proportionate number of members sent to Westminster for all purposes. That means—unless we have also a nest of English Parliaments—that beside the Irish forty at least sixty more representatives of people who can interfere with the regulation of our domestic affairs, though we cannot interfere with theirs, will be controlling our legisla- tion and administration. In a word, the Parliament at West- minster will have 100 irresponsible members whose chief vocation in life will be to blackmail the unfortunate English taxpayer. Was there ever, out of Bedlam, such a proposition as this P
