The most important event of the week has been the
appearance of Mr. J. S. Mill's and Lord Russell's tracts on Ireland. On Mr. ,1. S. Mill's, which is much the more striking, we have com- mented elsewhere. Lord Russell is, as usual, a little wearisome with his history ; but his argument against delay in rectifying the one great admitted injustice of Ireland—the establishment of the religion of the minority,—is very vigorous and pungent. His practical proposal is to divide the rent-charges of the present Establishment, giving six-eighths to the Roman Catholics, one- eighth to the Anglican Church, and one to the Presbyterians. He urges that two resolutions should be introduced into the House of Commons ; " one affirming the ecclesiastical equality asked for as a boon to Ireland by the most eminent of the Roman Catholic laymen ; the other, an address to the Crown, praying for measures to give effect to this resolution." The Voluntaryists and the Roman Catholic-endowment party might vote together on the first of these, but would hardly do so, we fear, on the second.
