Star.
London, England, 1829-08-20 00:00:00

POPULATION OF IRELAND.

A note in WYSE'S History of the late Catholic Asso-
ciation :

The Protestant census of 1821 exhibits a total population of
6,801,487, of which 4,838,000 were stated to be Catholics, and
1,963,487 Protestants. Mr. Shaw Mason's returns from the
clergy in 1814, on which I have already animadverted. allow a
still greater proportion in favour of the Protestant interest. Of late
years, however, it is well known there has been great diminution
by emigration and otherwise, (ace statements of Protestants, Mr.
Seymour 's speech. Mr. Peel's speech on the second reading of the
Relief Bill, Ac.) and that the Catholics, by purchase of lands, Ac.
have proportionably augmented. Even in the old corporate towns,
and those parts of the North which from their contiguity to Scot-
land have hitherto been supposed to be exclusively Protestants, the
Catholic population has been very rapidly gaining ground upon the
Protestant. This has been remarkably the case in Derry, Bethel.
Ac. in the South the same causes of course work with a greatly
increased activity. Mr. O'Connell, as has been already remarked,
from the returns of the Catholic census furnished from the com-
mencement of tie New Catholic Association to the 14th of June
1828 inclusive, calculated even in Ulster, two Catholics to one
Protestant, and in Munster twenty .one Catholics to one Protes-
tant. But this calculation excluded the great towns, and is con-
fined to one-sixth only of the population, therefore liable to pre-
cisely the same objections that have been urged against Mr. Shaw
Mason's report. The conclusions drawn from these premises are
also extreme. Mr. O'Connell calculates the population of Ireland
to amount actually so nearly ten millions. Mr. Malthus's theory
would give something approaching to nine millions, a conjecture by
no means improbable; of these nine millions, eight millions nearly
ought to be Catholics. The Catholics of course must increase from
physical and moral causes, far more rapidly than the Protestants.
A population of eight millions forms a considerable nation, far sur
passing most of the kingdoms on the Continent. The kingdom of
the Netherlands, comprising Holland, Flanders, Ac. has not more
than 5,600,000 inhabitants; Austria Proper not more than
5,200,000; Bavaria not more than 3,750,000, Ac. ; Saxony not
more than 1,260,000. There are many indeed who do not admit
this augmentation to have been so rapid or considerabk, and some
recent calculators have attempted to reduce the present Catbeac
population of Ireland to about 5,500,000, and to raise the Protes-
tant to 1,350,000; but this census is glaringly incorrect, and can-
not cohere either with theory, or experience. These errors have
arisen, partly from the prejudices of rival sects, and partly from
measuring the increase in Ireland by the same scale as that which
is applied, to most other anciently civilised communities. The only
country with which it can be compared, is America ; and what
Mr. Burke once applied with so much truth, under parallel circum-
stances, to that country, is at this moment scarcely less applicable
to Ireland. He stated, when concession to America was under
discussion, that the population of America amounted to two mil-
lions and a half. This calculation was thought overrated. He
continued : " This, Sir, is, I believe, about the true number.
There is no occasion to exaggerate, where plain truth is of so much
weight and importance. But whether I put the present numbers
too high or too low, is a matter of little moment. Such is the
strength with which population shoots in that part of the world,
that state the numbers as high as we will, whilst the dispute con-
tinues, the exaggeration ends : whilst we are discussing any Oven
magnitude, they are grown to it : whilst we spend our time in de-
liberating on the mode of governing two miWons, we shall find we
have more million to manage."—Speech, March 22d, 1775. The
justice of the above conjectures is put, however, beyond a doubt
by much surer data, the synoptical tables of the population of Ire-
land from 1672 to 1821, published frequently. (See " Moreau 's
Statistical Tables," p. 4. " Sadler's Ireland, its Evils, and their
Remedies," p. 5, Ac. Ac.) They give a great increase: but there
is reason to suppose that if the census had been more carefully
taken, the result would have been still greater.
CORRUPTION OF THE PRESS.
The great instrument of Brunswick power was the corrupt
press. It was conducted generally by the lowest description of
Castle underlings. They were considered identified with the Go-
vernment ; and there were times, in the history of Ireland, when
each opinion was just. All the partisans of old monopoly, every
person however remotely connected with dice, expectant' in every
form. but above all, and all occasions, the church, formed the,
limit mass of its robacribers. They thought themselves bound by
their allegiance and loyalty, " to aid the bands of government," by

giving as much support and circulation to its real opinions (as they
termed them) as was in their power. The circulation in Ireland
was immense; in England ►y no means inconsiderable. The funds
of tke party were expended in forwarding it to every inn of any
note, however distant, in the sister kingdom. A regard to accuracy
itnct truth, it may be easily imagined, was not amongst its charac-
teristics. Speeches wereinacle fur men who never spoke, small
parties were convertedfnio immense meetings, clubi,earmies, &c.
&c In the King's Colinty, a small family group, a few brothers
and brothers-in-law, assembled. The supplement of the next
Evening Mail was filled with the important proceedings, and on.
tions of two columns in length given to the eloquent movers and
seconders of the resolutions. But a lie that lams for a single day,
will do its work. When the ends were such, it is futile to quarrel
about the means.