Mr. Parnell's programme, as accepted, binds the National League to
seek first of all an Irish Parliament, that is, in fact, not Home-rule, but Repeal; secondly, the sale of the land to the tenants by the State, for a price to be paid in sixty.three annual instalments ; thirdly, County Boards, with all the powers of Grand Juries, and the right of electing, all the "Boards," such as the Board of Works, now governing Ireland ; fourthly, the assimilation of Irish Parliamentary franchises to those of England ; and fifthly, the grant of half an acre to each labourer, with exemption from poor-rate and a right to poor relief. Most of these proposals are, of course, entirely within the range of practical politics; one of them, establish- ing peasant-proprietary, has been partially accepted by the Tories, and one, the creation of County Councils, is a mere question of time. The provision for labourers, however, is practically outside legislation, and one rather to be secured by a strike ; while the idea of. electing the Administrative Boards has never been discussed. It is the one original contribution of the League to the discussion, for its corollary, the abolition of the Lord-Lieutenancy, which is also proposed, has been re- peatedly suggested before, and once, we believe, accepted, by Parliament. It is a singular proposal for a Separatist party, but no Englishman has any objection to make to it.
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