Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 April 1886 — FOREIGN. [ARTICLE]

FOREIGN.

A movement has been started in Germany to adopt a system of legal education similar to that in vogue in Great Britain. Mr. Gladstone s long-expected plan for home rule in Ireland is at last before the world. Amid scenes of excitement, such as have been rarely witnessed, the “grand old man” laid his measure before the British House of Commons on the Sth inst Its foundation may be described in his own words: The mainspring of the law in England is felt to be English; in Scotland to be Scotch; but jn Ireland it is not felt to be Irish.” That mainspring he announces to be a Parliament in Dublin “for the conduct of business both legislative and administrative.” In detail, the Parliament, should the scheme be carried, will consist of two orders sitting and voting together, except when they may disagree, each order to have a veto on the legislative action of the other for a period of three years, or until dissolution. The first order is to consist of the twenty-eight representative Peers of Ireland—all Tories, by the way—should they choose to sit in the new Irish Parliament, and seventy-five members elected by ratepayers taxed on an assessment of $125. The second order will consist of 206 members elected on the present Irish franchise. The duration of the Parliament will be five years. It will have no power to establish or endow any religious sect, to interfere with the prerogatives of the Crown in army or navy affairs, or with the foreign or colonial policy of Great Britain. Its prerogatives are to be purely local, such as the passage of laws affecting trade and navigation, weights and measures, local taxation, and postal arrangements. It does not contemplate such relations between Ireland and Great Britain as exist between one of our States and the General Government. Mr. Gladstone says: “As Ireland -is to have a domestic Legislature, it will therefore be impossible for the Irish representatives to come here,” meaning that there will be no Irish membership in the House of Commons, leaving Ireland in the condition Illinois would be if it had no representative in Congress, free to regulate its local affairs, but having no voice in national. Other details of the bill provide that the office of Viceroy shall continue, but be made non-political, while the control of the constabulary remains, for some time at least, as at present, which will not be very palatable to the radical Homo Rulers.—Jbajiscal unity of the empire is tn bo preserved, but the revenue from customs and excise duties is to be held for the discharge of Irish obligations. The general power of imposing taxes is also vested in the Legislature.' The famous Cock Tavern, in Fleet street, London, is to be demolished. The Army and Navy Gazette says that much uneasiness is felt among the European officials in India in consequence of the existence of Brahmin plots against the English regime. The newly appointed British Minister to China, Mi-. Walsham, has been directed to concede the claims of China to Upper Burmah, now in dispute, in return for concessions to English capitalists and contractors in respect to the construction of railways to central points in China and the building of Chinese fortificatioun