The Cojintry Gentlemaiis Magazine 



163 



A PEEP AT SCOTLAND. 



SOME very interesting statistics are fur- 

 nished in the first volume of the Census 

 of the Population of Scotland for 187 1, 

 which has just been issued. Before quoting 

 a few of these, we may note that the re- 

 porters seem strongly imbued with a hatred 

 of the Irish race. The invasion of Scotland 

 by the Irish within the last fifty years, and 

 particularly since the potato famine, they 

 appear to think an unmitigated evil, and ex- 

 press their feelings rather more strongly 

 than seems becoming in a Parliamentary 

 Blue-book regarding a race which forms an 

 integral portion of the United Kingdom. 



This invasion of Irish is likely to produce far 

 more serious effects upon the population of Scotland 

 than even the invasions of the warlike hordes of 

 Saxons, Danes, or Norsemen. Already, in many of 

 our towns do the persons born in Ireland constitute 

 from 5 to 15 per cent, of the population ; and, if 

 we include their children born in this country, from 

 10 to 30 per cent, of the population of these towns 

 consist of the Irish Celtic race. The immigration of 

 such a body of labourers of the lowest class, with 

 scarcely any education, cannot but have most pre- 

 judicial effects on the population. As yet, the great 

 body of these Irish do not seem to have improved by 

 their residence among us ; and it is quite certain that 

 the native Scot who has associated with them has 

 most certainly deteriorated. It is painful to contem- 

 plate what may be the ultimate effect of this Irish 

 immigration on the morals and habits of the people, 

 and on the future prospects of the country. 



There is, no doubt, some truth in what is 

 here stated, but it need not have been quite 

 so curtly expressed. And it should not be 

 forgotten, by farmers at least, that before the 

 advent of reaping machines " the Green Isle 

 Reapers " could ill have been spared at 

 harvest time. There were lots of black sheep 

 among them, no doubt; men who would stay, 

 living for a week or so free on one farm 

 waiting for the ripening of the corn, and then, 

 when their services were required, leave for 

 another part of the country where the "port," 

 that is, wages, were better. 



leaving so disposed of the insinuating and 



productive, and threatening to be inimical 

 population of the Emerald Isle in their 

 relation to Scotland, the reporters tell us the 

 following facts concerning the number of 

 persons to each acre in Scotland, and shew 

 us the character of the distribution, which, 

 in view of certain m.easures in connexion with 

 land-tenure, sure to come on next session, 

 are interesting : — 



Comparing the population with the area of Scot- 

 land, it would appear that in 1 871 there were in the 

 proportion of 110.30 persons to every square mile, or 

 5.80 acres to each person. Of course the proportion 

 varied in the eight divisions of the country. Thus : — 

 In the North-Western Division, which contained the 

 smallest proportion of inhabitants, there were only 

 22.75 pei'sons to every square mile, or 28.13 acres to 

 each person. In the Northern Division there were 

 35.99 persons to a square mile, or 17.78 acres to each 

 person. In the West-Midland Division there were 

 59.23 persons to a square mile, or 10.81 acres to each 

 person. In the Southern Division there were 64.68 

 persons to a square mile, or 9. 89 acres to each person. 

 In the North-Eastern Division there were 104.24 

 persons to a square mile, or 6. 14 acres to 

 each person. In the East-Midland Division there 

 were 134.80 persons to every square mile, or 4.75 

 acres to each person. In the South-Eastern Division 

 there were 253.43 persons to every square mile, or 

 2.53 acres to each person ; wliile in the highly popu- 

 lous mining and manufacturing South - Western 

 Division there were 516.30 persons to every square 

 mile, or only 1.24 acres to each person. 



If we take the individual counties, the disparity of 

 population to area appears still more strongly. 

 Thus : — 



Five counties had only from 12 to 40 inhabitants 

 per square mile, viz., Sutherland, 12.89 persons to a 

 square mile; Inverness, 20.57 ; Ross and Cromarty, 

 25.70 ; Argyll, 23.25 ; and Peebles, 34.63 persons. 



Five counties had above 40 and under 60 persons 

 to each square mile, viz., Kirkcudbright, 43.89 

 persons; Nairn, 47.60; Perth, 49.12; Selkirk, 

 53.83 ; and Caithness, 56.17. 



Six counties had above 60 and under 80 persons to 

 a square mile, viz. , Dumfries, 67.82 persons; Shet- 

 land and Orkney, 67.22 ; Bute, 75.45 ; Wigtown, 

 75-79 ; ^"<^1 Berwick, 78.58. 



Five counties had above 80 and under lOO persons 

 to a square mile, viz., Elgin, 82.09 persons ; Rox- 

 burgh, 80.62 ; Kincardine, 89.27 ; Banff, 90.38 ; and 

 Kinross, 92.48. 



