Home Rule / Second Edition

The author makes a practical case for devolving domestic legislative powers to an Irish parliament while preserving overall Imperial authority, setting out enduring arguments (geography, communal identity, religious divisions) alongside developments that strengthen the demand for self-government such as local councils, land and agricultural reforms, and social measures. He compares nineteenth-century proposals with the 1912 measure, considers practical difficulties including regional opposition and religious influence, traces historical precedents for limited self-government, surveys analogous arrangements elsewhere, and examines financial and administrative details, with appendices reproducing legislative texts, statistics, and institutional background.