298 ON THE STATE OP IRELAND. [BOOK III. 



ever do not agree respecting the laity whom they 

 would employ. The majority of the Commission- 

 ers wish to retain for the Protestants the great 

 influence which they have hitherto enjoyed, and 

 desire that the associations which shall make vo- 

 luntary contributions should dispose of the public 

 contributions. But in Ireland the only rich classes 

 are the Protestants, who are in sole possession 

 of the land and of all government places ; they 

 alone, therefore, are able to make voluntary con- 

 tributions. 



The minority of the Commissioners, on the con- 

 trary, desire to counterbalance the influence of the 

 Protestants by that of the Catholics, of whom in 

 fact the country may be said to consist ; and this 

 minority requires that the contribution levied upon 

 the public should be placed in the hands of guar- 

 dians of the poor, elected in the new method, which 

 has been explained, and which is already in opera- 

 tion in England. 



We have no further remarks to offer upon the 

 propositions of the Commissioners until we come 

 to Section XXXIV ; the Parliament having re- 

 jected all these recommendations, and organized 

 municipal authorities, in whom all the power is 

 centred, under the control of the Lord-Lieutenant 

 of Ireland. 



