LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE REPRESENTATION OF IRELAND.

(To THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.") Sin,—The Home-rulers complain of injustice, and they have good reason for alleging that Ireland is not on an equality with Great Britain as regards representation in Parliament. At the time of the Union, the population of Ireland was about half that of England, Scotland, and Wales. By the census of 1871, the proportion is widely altered, being about one-fifth.* One hundred Members were given to Ireland in 1801, and in successive Reform Bills, instead of a deduction on account of the relative decrease of the population, they have gained five additional Members, making the present number 105. If in a new Reform Bill the same rule is applied in regard to population as in the original Act of Union, the number of Irish Members

• Population of Ireland : in 1801, 8,398,458; in 1871, 0,411,410. Population of Great Britain : in 1801, 10,884,028; in 1871, 20,072,284.

would be reduced to eighty, leaving twenty-five to be distributed to England and Scotland. At first sight, such a change may appear startling, but a glance at the following table will show how very small are the boroughs that would necessarily be dis- franchised,—so small, indeed, that they would not for a moment be tolerated in England or Scotland. The following places, com- prising 6,063 electors, return eighteen Members of Parliament, while Birkenhead, with a constituency of 8,483, returns one Member :— Athlone ...

Carlow ...

Downpatrick Dungannon Dungarvan Ennis • ..

Kinsale ...

Mello* ...

New Ross_

•••

• • • • • 1.

• •

... 331 303 304 280 317 257 197 270 219 Portarlington Traloe Youghal Bandon ... Clonmel Coleraine Enniskillen 'Wexford ... Dundalk

• .1. .1. .1. .• • • • .• • •

140 357 270 414 421 431 392 498 568 Total number of Electors ... 6,069.

In addition to the above, the following places would supply the required number of the twenty-five surrendered seats. The whole of these constituencies, returning twenty-five Members, only represent 10,127 votes,—less by 1,653 than those of Gates- head, which returns one Member :—

Armagh ... ... 608 Drogheda ... 787

Kilkenny ... 686 Lisburn ... ... 691 Galway (two Members) .„ 1,292 Total ... 4,062 It would certainly be a great relief to the country, and clear the air for both the Liberal and Conservative parties, if the present Parliament devoted the remainder of its existence to giving justice to Ireland, in the shape of a new Reform Bill.-