The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-01-15
The Fiscal Aspect of Homo Rule.

y It is probably true that In private as well
aes In public business, the supreme rule Of the
Enslishman 10 found in the commercial idea
sof profit and loss. But as all signs fail In a dry
time, 80 all rules fail when the government
Of Ireland is involved. Authentic figures
have very recently been collected showing
precisely how much the taxpayers Of Great
Britain are now paying for the maintenance
of tyranny In Ireland.
First, there are the items OF expenditure
nnder what may be called law and justice.
In addition to the Judges Of the highest
courts, whose time is largely consumed in
business growing out Of misgovernment,
ilSnd whose salaries are greatly in excess Of
their value apart from politics, there are "a
PRESIDENT magistrates. nlne-tenths Of whom
would be absolutely idle the greater part Of
avery year II the coercion acts were not re-
Svoated for Ireland by the British legislature.
There are 10 temporary magistrates, the
Ereatures of coercion legislation. These
petty funotionaries, not n Of whom knows
anything about law and every one of whom
. s~tipendiary Of the system OF tyranny
which they exist to maintain, costs the Brit
Ssh Taxpayers pct year over 100000.
I The Ioace force. exceeding In numbers
$4,000. armed. drilled, and equipped Like SOL
Aiers, andeequired chiefly for the carrying
But Of political oppression, costs nearly
$1,000 900 per annum. The proportion OF
police to population is In England to 776.2,
d Scotland 1 to 973 and In Ireland l to
N20.8. Although the population OF Scotland
= now four-ffths that OF Ireland, there are
-FOUR times as many police kept In Ireland as
b Scotland; and the cost OF police per Grim
NAL in the three countries is as follows:
1nKiapd and Wales. .f20e Q ireland. .....-".-..fass Z
Ueousnd ..-".".... l7S 81
y How much money is spent In the secret
GBrvice in Ireland at the expense Of the
British taxpayer cannot, OF course, be ascer-
Nained. But q very moderate estimate
Would DO 100000 per annum.
= Turning to the military establishment. an
extraordinary condition is revealed. Crimi-
Nal statistics officially collected and pub
1ished show that. from year TO year, wheth-
DC the ordinary law is In force or a coercion
ect be added to its rigors, crime OF all kinds
10 Ireland Is less proportionally than in the
ether portions Of the United Kingdom. I'M
Ger such circumstances, surely a police force
70 largely In excess Of that required else
Where In the United Kingdom ID more than
though Tor the enforcement Of order and the
Varying out OF the DEGREES OF the courts.
But, In addition to the police. there Is an
army OF moro than $4,000 men distributed
throughout the country. and the cost Of Its
support. at the expense Of the British tax
payer, is at least $40, 900, 900 per annum. In
Scotland, with a population four-afths that
70 Ireland, only $3.50 men are stationed.
= The revenue Of Ireland from customs.
stamps, excise. income tax, and Post Office
receipts Is. according to Mr.. FOWLER, . for
raer Financial Secretary OF the Treasury.
about $8s.0O0.0O0 per annum. About two
thirds the entire amount Ia. therefore, con-
Sumed In the maintenance OF political
tyranny; and the British taxpayer. instead
Ut bang helped In his imperial burdens by
revenue from Ireland. isactually and heavily
but Of pocket for the expenses Of govern
t.ept thsrA tyranny not included.
These expenses arc by no means trivial.
;Thsrs ID. for instance. interest on tho
spYdssn.a asbtp t Ireland added to.the