After two days' debate the House of Commons on Wednesday
accepted, by 187 votes to 34, Major Wood's resolution in favour of " the creation of subordinate Legislatures within the United Kingdom " and of a Parliamentary inquiry into " a measure of Federal Devolution," without prejudice to any proposals that the Government may have to make with regard to Ireland. The large majority was doubtless influenced by the general feeling that Parliament is overworked and should devolve some of its burdens upon lesser bodies. We sympathize with that view, and we see no reason why the County Councils and the large Municipalities should not enjoy larger powers. But the so-called Federalists, who would break up the United Kingdom in order to reunite it on a Federal basis, have yet to produce a workable scheme, and, above all, to show how such a Govern- ment would be financed. Is England to pay part of the cost of governing Scotland, Wales, and Ireland without having any control over their expenditure ? That would be pleasant for the smaller parte of the kingdom, but it would not be popular with the English taxpayer. Let us decentralize our adminis- tration as far as possible. But to reverse the historic process by breaking up the United Kingdom would be suicide.
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