The September Pall .31 , 711 Magazine contains a very useful article
by Mr. Holt Schooling giving the exact figures as to the over-representation of Ireland and the under-representa- tion of England. At present, if the representatives of the three kingdoms were fairly apportioned according to popu- lation, Scotland would have 71 Members instead of 72 as she has now, Ireland would have 70 instead of 103, and England 529 instead of 495. In other words, Ireland has 33 Members too many and England 34 too few, while Scot- land has only 1 more than her fair share. Mr. Holt Schooling enforces these facts by taking also the basis of Imperial contribution and showing that Ireland is over- represented. To our mind, however, only the population test is material. A man has a right to share in the govern- ment and law-making of the country in respect of his man- hood rather than of his purse, for laws affectine his life and liberty are far more important than supply. Population is the only safe and true test, and judged by that our present system stands condemned as unfair. Of course many specious arguments can be produced in favour of this as of every other injustice, but, in truth, they are only the arguments which seventy years ago used to be employed to defend the system of rotten boroughs. Ireland's over-representation is merely the electoral injustice perpetrated at Gatton or Old Sarum in a less exaggerated form.
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