IRISH ADMINISTRATION AND THE VICE- ROYALTY.
[To THE EDITOR 07 TER " SnerrAToR.1 SIE,—Among your correspondents in the Spectator of August 13th was one who asserted that it only required the abolition of the Irish Viceroyalty to make Irishmen feel that they lived under exactly the same Constitution as the rest of the United Kingdom. Since there is so much mis- apprehension as to how Ireland is governed, perhaps you will be good enough to allow me to quote the following extract
from Lord Dunraven's book, "The Outlook in Ireland," on the subject, p. 156 :—
" It is difficult to describe what is commonly called 'Castle Government.' It is easier to say what it is not than what it is. It is not a democratic form of government, for the people have nothing to say to it, either through some representative machinery in Dublin or through their representatives at Westminster. It is not a despotism, because the Lord Lieutenant has very little power. It is not exactly an oligarchy, though a small but avaricious section of the community appear to think that the country should be run for their benefit alone. It is a sort, and a very bad sort, of bureaucracy,—a government by departments in Ireland, uncon- trolled by Parliament, uncontrolled by any public body in Ireland, subject only to a department in London. It is the most expensive system of government in the world. Head for head the Govern- ment of Ireland costa more than the Government of any civilised community on the whole face of the earth. Under it there is no security whatever against absolute waste and misapplication of money ; no security against the indirect extravagance that arises from money not being spent in the best direction or in the wisest way."
Will the abolition of the Viceroyalty do anything to improve this system ? I think not. I think it would only tend to
increase the deadening and deadly effect the whole system of departmental government has on Irish life. Is it surprising that the great majority of Irishmen should revolt at this travesty of democratic government, or that we who belong to the party recently formed by Lord Dunraven and Mr. Wm. O'Brien, who are Imperialists as well as Nationalists, should protest against a system of government which remains the
dark spot in Imperial administration P—I am, Sir, &c., Dept, Royal Fusiliers, Hounslow. P. VILLIERS STUART.
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