LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE REPRESENTATION OF IRELAND.
[TO THE EDITOR OF TIM "SPECTATOR:1
Sin,----Your correspondent, "E. C. S.," suggests that it would be well to give "justice to Ireland," and "clear the air for both the Liberal and Conservative parties," by passing a new Reform Bill that would reduce the Irish representation by twenty- five seats, and transfer that number to England and Scotland. Hegives a list of twenty-three Irish boroughs which he con- siders might be disfranchised, they being so small" that "they would not for a moment be tolerated in England or Scotland." The test taken by "E. C. S." as to the size of these twenty-three boroughs—viz., the number of electors they possess—is very misleading, the Irish franchise being a restricted one, compared with that in Great Britain.
The rule adopted at the time of the last redistribution of seats in England was, not to disfranchise any borough which contained a population of 5,000. The twenty-three Irish boroughs selected by "E. C. S." contain, according to the census of 1871, an aggregate population of 195,759, or an average of 8,511, and only four of them fall below the'English standard of 5,000. There are at present in England as many as forty-six boroughs, each returning its Member to Parliament, having a smaller population than the average of the twenty-three Irish boroughs. So much for "E. C. S.'s " assertion as to what "would not be tolerated for a moment in England or Scotland." When the numbers of electors in places of equal population in the two countries are compared, the effect of the restricted Irish franchise is immediately apparent. Thus,—
Population. Electors.
Dublin 267,717 12,117 Leeds 259,212 49,546 Cork 100,518 4,618 Leicester 96,220 18,865 Limerick 4.9,853 1,781 Middlesborough 46,621 11,824 Wexford 13,112 498 Whitby 13,094 2,103 Kinsale 6,965 191 Ripon 6,806 1,096
The Reform Bill that is required is one that will remove this great inequality, and place the Irish franchise in exactly the same position as the English. Such a measure was introduced on several occasions during the present Parliament, but was on every occasion voted down by the Conservatives. The Liberals, who have supported these Bills when in opposition, will be expected to pass them when they return to power. Will they accord the full measure of justice to Ireland, by giving her the number of seats she should have in proportion to her population, as compared with Great Britain? This would be not a decrease of twenty-five, but an increase of eight seats ? On what principle of justice can this be refused ? Cer- tainly not by citing the Act of Union, as "B. C. S." desires. There is no room for a second Castlereagh. The wish of your correspondent to "clear the air for both Liberal and Con- servative parties" is not an unnatural one, to a member of either party who desires to reduce the Home-rule party to impotence. But if that end is desired, it should be sought after only by fair and constitutional means. What would be thought of Lord Beaconsfield, if he proposed to sweep off a number of English seats held by Liberals, in order to "clear the air" for himself and his party? Such conduct would be judged by all as being politically im- moral in the last degree, and yet a similar proposal is made through a Liberal journal with respect to Ireland ! Until such proposals cease to be made or thought of, it is hopeless to expect that a healthy feeling will exist between the two countries- -I am, Sir, &c.,
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