THE FRANCHISE IN ULSTER.

rro THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.]

must apologise for a mistake in my last letter. The loyalists would probably be able to hold their own under house- hold suffrage in four or five boroughs (instead of "about two ") boroughs in Ulster, in addition to the four counties. My argu- mentis not much affected by this correction. In your article on "The New Cave of Adullam," you say :-" The counties which are loyal to England-Londonderry, for instance, Tyrone, and Antrim, and probably even Monaghan, though Mr. Healy does at present represent Monaghan-would be rendered more Unionist, not more Parnellite, by household suffrage The Protestant and Unionist part of Ulster will gain by the adoption of household franchise only, though it will gain addi- tionally by fair distribution." In the letters you have done me the honour to print, I have stated my belief that the Protestant and Unionist part of Ulster will lose heavily by the adoption of household franchise, and that the loss cannot be sufficiently made up for by any practicable scheme of Redistribution.

What are the facts ? The lower class of Irish Catholic householders in Ulster, as elsewhere, are Parnellite. The Catholic householders in Ulster belong, with few exceptions, to the lower class. The Ulster Protestants of all denominations are, with few exceptions, Unionist. Under the present franchise, the Protestants are in a majority in every Ulster constituency, except Cavan (in Monaghan, the Protestant and Catholic voters are nearly equal) ; but only in four counties (Antrim, Down, Londonderry, and Armagh), and in four or five boroughs (Bel- fast, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Lisburn, and (?) Downpatrick), do the Protestants form a majority of the population, and pre- sumably of the householders. In Londonderry and Armagh their majority is not very great. In Donegal, Tyrone, Fer- managh, and Monaghan, and in the boroughs of Armagh, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Londonderry (city), and Newry, the Catholics have substantial majorities, and will, with household suffrage, return Parnellite Members.

How, then, can Tyrone and Fermanagh-much less Donegal and Monaghan, or the five loyal boroughs above named-be rendered more Unionist by household suffrage ? How, farther, will you, by any practicable scheme of redistribution, make up for the disfranchisement of the important Protestant and Unionist minorities in such constituencies as Tyrone and Fer- managh counties, and Enniskillen. Derry, and Armagh cities,- minorities so important and influential that not only the Spectator, but many persons on the spot, firmly believe them to be safe majorities, till undeceived by the plain figures of the census ?

The vital importance of the Irish-franchise question, and the general ignorance as to its true bearings, will, I hope, be con- sidered sufficient excuse for this third letter, and procure it admission to your columns. I have no coMplete or accurate statistics by me, but the following figures are approximately correct

Present voters. Population.

f- ,

Constituency. Protestant. Roman

f-■......■--,----.,

Roman (Counties.) (All sects.) Catholics. Protestant.

Catholics.

Antrim 9,850 2,250 • •• 304,587

107,175 Armagh ......... 5 090 1,641 ••• 87,460

75,700 Cavan About one to three. ••• 24,800

101,700 Donegal 3,490 1,200 ••• 48,427

157,600 Down 9,900 2,600 •• • 190,950

81,000 Fermanagh ... About three to one. ••. 37,482

47,359 Londonderry... 4,400 1,250 ••• 91,700

73,274 Monaghan Nearly equal. •• • 27,C00

75,700 Tyrone 5,500 2,000 ••• 87,000

109,800 (Boroughs.)

Armagh Large Prot. majority. 4,900 ••• 5,036 Belfast 16,600 4,700 139,000

Carrickfergus. Large Prot. majority. 7,700 .•,,

6(i.)12

Coleraine 347 74 ...

Downpatrick... Substantial Prot. majority... 4,930 1,855 •• : :

11,A60

Dungannon ... 100 110 ... 1,831 ••. 2,200 Enniskillen ... Substantial Prot. majority... 2,300 • .• 3,400 Lisburn Overwhelming Prot. 8,168 ... 2,517 Londonderry 1,409 673 ... 12,437 ... 16,073 Newry Substantial, Prot. majority... 5,000 ... 10,100

Blesaingbourne, rivemiletown, County Tyrone, Tanuary 15th.

[The assumption that all the Roman Catholic voters in Ulster are substantially Parnellite and Disunionist, is surely mere guesswork, and not very probable guesswork.-En. Spectator.