TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXV, Issue 170, 25 July 1901, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Official returns show that the figures for the Emerald Isle have been checked, and show that the population of the country in April last totalled 4,450,546, of whom 2,255,807 were females, the decrease on the figures of 1891 being 52 per cent, in the case of males and 5*3 per cent, in the case of females. The retrogression inLeinster is 41,297, j or 35 per cent.; in Minister, 98,568, or B*s per .cent..; in Ulster, 38,463, or 2*4 per cent. ; and in Connaught, 69,876, or 9*7 per cent. Three counties only show an advance upon their position of *en years ago-Dublin and Down, with an increase of 7"3 per cent, each, and.Antrim, with an increase of 7 per cent. So far as the urban centres" arc concerned, Belfast shows an increase of. 28 per cent., Londonderry 20 per cent., and Dublin 7^per cent. The greatest urbon decrease is Drogheda-r----7 per cent. The religious denominations in Ireland show in the new census returns a decline on the figures of 1891, with the exception of Methodists and Jews. The Roman Catholics have decreased 6*7 per cent., the Protestant Episcopalians by 35, and the Presbyterians by '3, whereas the Methodists have increased 104 and the Jews 111*9. There are 3,310,028 Roman Catholics, 579,385 Episcopalians, 443,394 Presbyterians, 61,255 Methodists, and 3,769 Jews. There are 4 Jews in Connaught, 670 in Munster, 851 in Ulster, and 2,244 in Leinster. One other factor: Ireland continues to have the lowest marriage rate in Europe. Hungary heads the list with 91 marriages per 1,000, Germany 53, England 52, Austria 51, Italy 50*, France 49, Sweden 37, and Ireland 23.

A tetition has been presented to Parliament by Herbert Ernest Easton, of Weston-super-Mare and Taunton, now and for many years an honorary member of tho Devonshire County Club, and at present a member of the Otago Club, regarding mining and dredging companies,"™ which he and others have Invested, He makes many allegations, tsßating ambf giother things :—" Large numbers of shares have been 'dummied' by promoters. The commission on these shares, which only existed on paper, was, he says, charged and received out of the moneys obtained from the genuine shareholders. He makes specific allegations regarding the Lee's Ferry Company and the Ngahere Dredging Company. He states that in several dredging companies the capital is being utilised for purposes other than those for which the public subscribed it, and thafcno genuine attempt is being made to carry out the purport of the prospectuses. He points out that the press cannot fully expose the frauds that are practised because of the libel laws that exist in New Zealand. He therefor-e asks Parliament to amend the law relating to such

companies.