THE REDISTRIBUTION BILL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 42, 6 February 1885, Page 13

THE REDISTRIBUTION BILL.

Mb. Gladstone in the House of Commons on Monday night, Ist December, unfolded the scheme of redistribution which has been arrived at in the conferences between tbe Cabinet and Lord Salisbury. On Tuesday morning the Redistribution Bill was printed and circulated. The following brief analysis of its provisions will give a fair idea of the general effect of it and the changes it will make in Ireland if it passes into law : — The bill proposes to give twelve additional members to Scotland and six to England, Ireland and Wales are to continue as they are, Ireland retaining 103 representatives. The twelve men added to the Scottish representation will be members for twelve new constituencies ; the six given to England will sit for constituencies representing the bix places now disfranchised for bribery, etc. Two of these are Sligo and Cashel. The present House of Commons consists of 652 members, but the six' seats in abeyance for bribery bring up the nominal strength to 658. There are to be 12 new members added, thus making the House in future number 670. All boroughs under 15,000 population are -to pass into the counties, and to cease to have separate representation. Boroughs ranging from a population of 15,000 to 50,000 are to have one member, above 50,000 to 165,000 two members, and for every additional 50,000 in the population one additional member is to be altered. Boroughs having upwards of 165,000 inhabitants are to be divided into wards, aid each ward is to elect one member. Tbe same principle is followed in the counties. In Ireland, therefore, Carlow, which has a population of less than 50,000, loses one of its members, while Cork gains five additional representatives. All the counties having two or more members are to be divided into single* member constituencies. Boroughs to be merged in the Counties and to have no separate representation. Armagh Dungarvan Athlone Bnnis Bandon Enniskillen Carlow Kinsale Carrickfergus Lisburn Clonmel Mallow Coleraine " >ew Rosa Down patrick Portarlington Drogheda Tralee Dundatk Wexford Dungannon Youghal Toal-22. Boroughs which in future will h ive only one member. Galway Limerick Waterford Total-3 Boroughs to receive additional members.) Belfast in future will have 4 members Dublin " " " 4 Each of these two constituencies will be divided into four separate divisions, and each division will have one member. The following list gives the number of members which each Irish county will have if the bill passes. Carlow, as we have previously Baid, having a population of less than 50,000, is to lose one of its members. Each of tbe remaining counties will be divided into as many districts as it will have members, and each member will sit for a separate district: —

Name of No. of Name of No. of County. Members. County Members. Antrim ... 4 Londonderry ... 2 Armagh ... 3 Longford ... 2 Cailow ... 1 Louth ... 2 Cavan ... 2 Mayo ... 4 Clare ' ... 2 Meath ... 2 Cork T.. 7 Monagban ... 2 Donegal ... 4 Queen's ... 2 Down ... 4 Roscommon ... 2 Dublin ... 2 Sligo ... 2 Fermanagh ... 2 Tipperary ... 4 Gal way ... 4 Tyrone ... 4 Kerry ... 4 Waterlord ... 2 Kildare ... 2 Westmeath ... 2 Kilkenny ... 2 Wexford ... 2 King's County ... 2 Wicklow ... 2 Leitrim ... 2 Limerick ... 2 Total 85 THE TOTAL IRISH BEPRESBKTATION. Counties 85 members. Waterford ... 1 „ Dublin University 2 „ Londonderry ... 1 „ „ City ... 4 „ Newry ... 1 „ Belfast ... 4 „ Kilkenny ... 1 „ Cork City ... 2 „ Galway Borough 1 „ Limerick ... 1 „ Total 103 — Exchange.