ig6 A. D. 1733. 



humour of the majority of a general court, that, though their directors 

 acquainted them that they perfifted in their former opinion that not 

 above three per cent could be prudently divided for the current half 

 year, the ballot determined it by above two to one, for three and a 

 half, even though they were then llkewife told, that the fecrecy proper 

 to be obferved by great trading focieties can very feldom, if ever, ad- 

 mit of particular calculations to be laid before fuch popular aflemblies 

 as general courts ; and though they well knew, that the diredors were 

 at leaft as much interefted as moft other proprietors in keeping up the 

 dividends on their flock *, 



It is by no means foreign to our fubjed to obferve, that a new and 

 mod hopeful corporation was now ereded for promoting Englifh pro- 

 teftant working fchools in Ireland. The author of this work having at 

 this time been fomewhat ufeful in correfponding with Dr. Maule, then 

 bifliop of Dromore, for promoting the charter thereof, received of that 

 bifliop the following well vouched account of the number of people, 

 both proteftants and papifts, in all Ireland, viz. that, by the bifliop's 

 books and other authentic vouchers, there were at leaft two millions of 

 people in all Ireland, of which there were very near 600,000 proteftants, 

 and fomewhat above 1,400,000 papifts. About the fame time there 

 came out a printed lift of the numbers of both religions in every county 

 in Ireland, but, for brevity's fake, we ftiall content ourfelves with the 

 four great divifions, called provinces, of Ireland, viz. 



In Ulfter, proteftant families, 62,620 popifli families 38,459 



— Leinfter, _ - _ 25,238 _ _ _ 92,424 



— Munfter, - - - 13,337 - - - 106,407 



— Connaught, _ - - 4,299 - - - 44>i 33 



Total, proteftant families, 105,494 popifli families 281 ,423 



which, at five to each family in the country, and ten for Dublin, and 

 feven for Cork, makes in all 2,015,229 fouls, very nearly correfpond- 

 ing with Biftiop Maule's account. 



The printed account makes the proteftant families in Dublin to 

 be - - - " - .- - - ^'823 



popifti ones to be - 4,119 



12,942 

 Which, at 10 to each family, makes the people of Dublin amount 

 to - - - - - 129,420 



Proteftant families in the city of Cork, 2,569 



Popifli families, - - - 5,398 



Total, - 7*967 



Which, at feven to each family, makes 55,769 fouls in Cork. 



* The dividend was reduced from c/j/j.' to /even per cent in iht year 1732 ; (fee above, p. 154.) 

 fo the proprietors only continued the divideud : and it continued the fiime till midfummer 1743. M. 



