For himself, Mr. Asquith is clearly for Federalism under the
euphemistic name of decentralisation or devo.higon. He thinks that Parliament is choked with work, aml that it must be disembarrassed of the more local work, which should be com- mitted to local Assemblies. That is all very well ; but what that implies is at most mere Provincial Councils, with perhaps somewhat larger powers than the present County Councils. Is Mr. Asquith prepared to maintain that such a local Assembly as that ought to content, and must content. Ireland P If he is, we firmly believe that he will soon find himself struggling with Mr. Parnell, mild and even ostenta- tiously bumble as was Mr. Parnell's language at Nottingham. Mr. Asquith asked for an avowal of the intended scheme in order "to disarm at the same time the opposition in front and the rebels behind." So that there are still " rebels behind," over and above the declared Liberal Unionists ? Who aro they, we wonder P But of course Mr. Asquith will not tell us. There will be a good many more of them before the dissolution comes.
