THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH OF IRELAND.
LTo THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."1 Sia,—In a letter which appeared in the Spectator of January 2nd, under the heading of "The Irish Elections," it is stated that the Irish Unionists have but a sixth of the Irish represen- tation, "yet they have most of the property and intelligence of the country." To pronounce on the varying proportions in which "intelligence" should be assigned to the different districts of Ireland, or of any country, apart from mere political predilections, is so. difficult, that I will not venture on attempting it. But if the rest of the passage I have quoted means that the North of Ireland is immensely superior in property and wealth to the South of Ireland, this view is, I admit, in entire accordance with the traditional notions and habitual language of the ultra-Protestant party in Ireland, but is entirely at variance with facts ; and I address the correction of the error to the Spectator, as its columns are more open than most journals to the consideration of political questions from what I may call the " scientific " point of view, as distinct from that of mere party bias. More than that, you will admit, Sir, that "imperfect information " has been one main source at all times of the errors or deficiencies in English policy towards Ireland, and that those errors or deficiencies will not be amended by unduly contemning one section of .the Irish people, and unduly exalting the other section, however much we may deplore the political estrangement of the one, and highly regard the loyalty of the other.
The populations of the eight most northerly counties of Ireland (Antrim, Armagh, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Lon- donderry, Monaghan, Tyrone), and that of the nine most southerly (Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford), are pretty nearly equal ; that of the Northern counties being 1,611,000, and of the Southern, 1,594,000. In what condition, then, do we find these practi- cally equal populations with regard to wealth, whether as regards realised property, or agricultural and commercial enterprise ? The value of lands and buildings in the Northern section is £4,084,000, and in the Southern, £4,271,000; while if we con- older each from the point of view of Schedule A, we find the amount assessed in the Northern section to be £3,988,000, and in the Southern, £4,412,000. When we tarn to Schedule D, the Northern section is far superior to the Southern, the amount for the former being £2,737,000, and for the latter, £2,021,000. The superiority is due to a single commercial centre, Belfast ; but it is more than redressed on the part of the Southern section by Schedule B, the amount assessed in that section being £3,718,000, while in the Northern section it is only £2,741,000. There are, indeed, some minor qualifications in detail which might be adduced on both sides of the comparison; but they would leave the main result untouched ; moreover, I must not venture a longer trespass on your space.—I am, Sir, &c., P.S.—I need hardly add that the figures above given are exclusively from official documents.
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