Ireland, the stability of society has been rudely shaken; the sense of the security of property has well-nigh disappeared; the sanctity of contracts has no respect; the pillars on which order and prosperity rest have been injured; violent revolution has been arrested, indeed, but revolutionary and socialistic ideas spread far and wide. And will any impartial inquirer deny that these untoward results may be largely ascribed to the faulty legislation of late years, and to a system of administration shifty and feeble? And what judgment is to be passed on the thoughtless optimism too common in opinion with respect to Ireland? Meanwhile, reforms imperatively required are not even attempted; they are passed over or postponed to some more convenient season. The time surely has come to look things in Ireland straight in the face; to see if statesmanship cannot do something really effective for her good. This end assuredly will not be attained by breaking up the Three Kingdoms under the guise of Home Rule, or by promoting a confiscation the worst Ireland has ever seen; still less will it be attained by the quackery in legislation and administration too apparent of late years; nor can trifling and foolish optimism blind the eyes of intelligent thinkers to facts. Ireland can only expect to make progress by ruling the community on the just and sound principles to which long experience has given its sanction; and this consummation can only be the slow result of time. APPENDIX THE IRISH GOVERNMENT BILL, 1886. ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES. Part I. _Legislative Authority._ CLAUSE 1. Establishment of Irish Legislature. 2. Powers of Irish Legislature. 3. Exceptions from powers of Irish Legislature. 4. Restrictions on powers of Irish Legislature. 5. Prerogatives of Her Majesty as to Irish Legislative Body. 6. Duration of the Irish Legislative Body. _Executive Authority._ 7. Constitution of the Executive Authority. 8. Use of Crown Lands by Irish Government. _Constitution of Legislative Body._ 9. Constitution of Irish Legislative Body. 10. First order. 11. Second order. _Finance._ 12. Taxes and separate Consolidated Fund. 13. Annual contributions from Ireland to Consolidated Fund of United Kingdom. 14. Collection and application of Customs and Excise duties in Ireland. 15. Charges on Irish Consolidated Fund. 16. Irish Church Fund. 17. Public loans. 18. Additional aid in case of war. 19. Money bills and votes. 20. Exchequer Division and revenue actions. _Police._ 21. Police. PART II. _Supplemental Provisions._ Powers of Her Majesty. 22. Powers over certain lands reserved to Her Majesty. Legislative Body. 23. Veto by first order of Legislative Body, how overruled. 24. Cesser of power of Ireland to return members of Parliament. Decision of Constitutional Questions. 25. Constitutional questions to be submitted to Judicial Committee. Lord-Lieutenant.