IRELAND WITHOUT BRITAIN
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—Whatever will be the direct or indirect results of secession in future, there is one clear result in prospect, which is a permanent partition of the kingdom of Ireland, while there is also the Crown of Ireland itself.
Like the proposed partition of the infant by King Solomon, this may prove to be a touchstone of nationality and be a cross division that will swallow up all parties.
And yet there may be seine means to avert the calamity of secession from Northern Ireland by taking advantage of the present forms of government and in spite of even the treaty itself, since there is nothing to prevent one and the same person from holding the two offices of Governor-General for both Northern and Southern Ireland, while the two Senates, at least, might, by mutual consent, sit in joint session alter- nately at Dublin and Belfast, when tho Jess their actual powers the more easily they could discuss such matters that they had in common and without prejudice.
• All Ireland, like all Gaul, is still divided into three parts in reality, apart from artificial and external divisions : (1) Ulster, (2) The Pale, which still lies below the surface, and (3) the Celtic, or more primitive civilization of the past.
Yet the four provinces, which, in the time of Queen Eliza-
beth had each its own President under the Lord Deputy, might thus have each its own Provincial Council, and it would save great expense to amalgamate the County Councils of each
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