THE OVER-REPRESENTATION OF IRELAND. [To THE EDITOR Or THE "SPECTATOR.")
Siu,—Of the measures you wish the Government to undertake the over-representation of Ireland is indeed the most pressing, for Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Balfour have each quite feelingly descanted upon the greatness of the temptation of seventy votes going a-begging. There is also the injustice to Irish Unionists of handicapping them with thirty Home-rulers who have no right whatever to be in the House of Commons,—this
• is the great injustice. According to Lord James, seventy- three seats, or one more than Scotland, would fairly represent 'Ireland; which is therefore over-represented, not by twenty, .but by thirty seats. What, then, stops the way ? The difficulty of distributing these seats in England. But surely England can very well get on without these thirty seats, which indeed would not add appreciably to the voting power of the predominant partner. At all events that is a matter which might well stand over, and meanwhile the reduction of the unwieldy numbers of the House of Commons would be something gained, while the temptation to both political parties would be sensibly lessened.—I am, Sir, &c.,
AN OLD CROMWELLIAN.
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