27 OCTOBER 1917, Page 10

REDISTRIBUTION IN IRELAND.

LT° THE Zones or THE " EirEcuroa.")

Sur,—When Mr. Redmond spoke of the extension to Ireland of the Franchise Bill, with the exception of the Redistribution clauses, ae a " compromise," was not this a misnomer P A com- promise implies give and take, but the unamended measure would add considerably more to Nationalist voting-power than it would to Unionist, while the refusal to extend Redistribution to Ireland would continue the present unfairness by which East Belfast only returns one Member, while six constituencies in some other parts of Ireland, the total of whose population is lees than that of East Belfast, return one Member each. The present arrangement is also unfair to Dublin, though not in the same degree. It is a pity the over-representation of Ireland in relation to England cannot be rectified, but at least if it is to be con- tinued let us hare Redistribution within Ireland. It would seem fair that two or four of the hundred and three seats should be given to the two new Universities—the National University and the Queen's University of Belfast—thus bringing University representatives up to four or six, and leaving ninety-nine or ninety-seven seats to be apportioned according to population. Every loyal man in Ireland who has read your article on the situation in Ireland moat feel grateful to you for it —I am, Sir, de., H. S. VERSCHOTLI. Dubane, Kircubbin, Co. Down.