THE SOLUTION OF THE IRISH PROBLEM.
[To THE EDITOR OD THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—" Hibernicus " in your issue of January 7th writes a letter, interesting in a good deal, but sadly and rather
strangely agee in certain facts and figures essential to his thesis. I propose with your permission to deal with those inaccuracies only, and the importance of the correcting word, I think, will become obvious. " Hibernicus " says :—" It will be said that the Catholics and Nationalists return a majority of the representatives of Ulster at present. But this majority (which, I believe, is only one) results from unequal representa- tion." This is precisely what, for the present, may not be said The very contrary is the case. The Unionists, by holding Derry City, have a majority of one in the Ulster representa- tion. Derry, however, was a Nationalist possession. Mr. Justin McCarthy sat for Derry City, so also did Mr. Vesey Knox, and later Count Moore was the successful candidate. Were Derry to be won back, as it could be on an improved register—it is entirely practicable—the balance would change, and a majority of one would be with the Nationalists in Ulster. The Catholics or Nationalists—the terms are interchangeable here—have a substantial majority in the
population of Derry City, outnumbering by a margin of some thousands the aggregate of the Protestant and non-Catholic denominations (vide Census). " Hiberniens " refers to "the improving sea-port of Londonderry." I cordially wish I could concur in this description. But the following quotation from the Unionist Derry Sentinel (Orange-Tory) gives a decided set-back, viz. :— " Has Londonderry progressed during the year? Has it held its position industrially and commercially? Has it fairly retained its legitimate trading area in the face of competition that becomes
more fierce every year ? Judged by the valuation return the city is not growing. On the contrary, for the first time in its modern history the valuation of Derry has fallen."
Furthermore, it is declared that whilst the valuation is going down, the capital debt is mounting up by thousands !
"Hibernicus " relies much on "the unequal representation of Ulster.". A prominent Ulster Unionist M.P., the other year,
went into this matter, and his conclusion was that a redistri- bution on what was termed the equitable basis would tot out, within. Ulster, not to the Unionist advantage.—I am, Sir, &c.,
ULSTERMAN.
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