On Wednesday, when the House wan in Committee on the
Fran- ehise Sill; Sir John Leetsdale raised the question of Ireland. Should the Irish constituencies be redistributed, or should Ireland be denied the wider franchise amended by the Bill to Great Britain ? Mr. Redmond asserted that the Speaker's Conference had agreed on a compromise by which Ireland was to have the new franchise without redistribution. The Horne Secretary suggested that the Conference had really ignored- the Irish problem-, and said that the House was free, if it liked; to redistribute Ireland's hundred and three seats or-to omit her from the NIL Mr. Duke urged the House to leave Irish redistribution alone- for the present. Mr. Samuel, we are glad to. see, admitted that the Irish representation " ought properly to be- reduced;" though only, in his view, as part of an Irish settlement. For practical masons, we are inclined to think that the Hon% would do well to let Irish redistribution wait a little longer, and meanwhile to pass the Bill which will benefit Great.
Britain. The Bill is essentially a compromise and an agreed measure, and it is better to treat it as such and to avoid controversy, however tempting,
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