Another example of Liberal uneasiness was shown by the speech
of Mr. MacCallum Scott, who declared that other members on his side shared his apprehensions. The pre- posterous proposal to give Ireland a separate Post Office next came on for discussion. Here Mr. Herbert Samuel made the lamest possible defence, and his contentions were absolutely riddled by Mr. Austen Chamberlain, who challenged the Government spokesman to name any State other than a sovereign State that had a separate Post Office. Certainly the possession of a separate Post Office has always been regarded as a special mark of sovereignty. For that reason the Bavarians have always been intensely proud of their own stamps. Mr. Chamberlain was, of course, perfectly right when he declared that the reason for the separation of the service was that the Government wished to deck the Irish Parliament with emblems of sovereign authority. He might have added also that the Irish Nationalists were determined to have at their disposal so valuable a piece of patronage. Mr. Pirie, another Liberal member, denounced the Government scheme as an insane proposal.
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