228 Domestic Notices. — Ireland. 



immediately — all at once. All these are certainly most favourable supposi- 

 tions for the emigration philosophers. Ireland is thus brought back to her 

 population fifty years ago. It increased, then, gradually till it reached eight 

 millions: can any reason be pointed out why it should not increase again? 

 Are there not many strong reasons why it would increase more rapidly — at a 

 greater ratio — than it did fifty years since ? Ireland is now better cultivated, 

 there is more demand for labour ; by the invention of steam boats, England 

 and Scotland are virtually part of Ireland, and thus an immense addition 

 is made to the market for Irish labourers : this last circumstance is a point 

 of great moment, in considering the question. We have no doubt that the 

 opening the market of England and Scotland to Irish labour will, of itself, 

 increase Irish population at a greater ratio than it has hitherto done. 

 And yet, as if this were not a sufficient aggravation of the evil, the Emigra- 

 tion Committee proclaim to the Irish : " Here is another vent for your 

 surplus population ; another market for your labour ; — such of you as 

 hesitate about marrying, afraid that neither the market of your own coun- 

 try nor that of Great Britain will afford you the means of keeping a wife 

 and children, marry now, and we will not only open another market, such 

 as cannot be overstocked, but send you there, free of expense ; and make 

 you there proprietors of land, — masters, not servants." 



Can it be doubted, then, that if this moment two millions were shipped 

 off, they would be replaced much sooner than in fifty years, the period at 

 which, by our supposition, the two millions were added, that raised the 

 population to eight millions ? 



The Emigration Committee, therefore, purpose to hold out a bounty on 

 marriage, in order to diminish population : truly, a most Irish proposal. 



There is one mode, which, if practicable, might do good : let us suppose 

 that it were ascertained that six millions could be supported comfortably, — 

 let the number be reduced to that, all at once. Then, having also ascer- 

 tained what would be the annual increase of the six millions, let a number 

 equal to that increase be annually shipped off. This measure, of course, 

 would always keep down the population to the level of comfortable exist- 

 ence. But, besides the impracticability of this measure, one of the data 

 could not be accurately ascertained ; because an accurate knowledge of the 

 annual rate of increase in Ireland hitherto, when there have been only Irish 

 markets for labour, will not point out what will be the rate of increase, 

 when the additional market of Great Britain, and that proposed by the 

 Emigration Committee are thrown open. 



The principle, then, is bad ; if acted on, it must encourage and increase 

 the evil it is intended to diminish and check. And we repeat our surprise, 

 how any man of reflection or observation, — any men who are either prac- 

 tical or theoretical political economists, should have suggested such a plan, 

 or agreed to it. But it is a hobby, and, like that of reaching the North 

 Pole, will probably be carried into effect, till its worthlessness and expense 

 are ascertained not to be the least objectionable parts of it. 



What plan, then, could we suggest? All agree that the evil, dreadful as 

 it is, is yet in comparative feebleness ; and that, if not strangled in its in- 

 fancy, it will soon reach a giant's size and force, and strangle not merely 

 national but individual prosperity. Irish labourers may be benefited, — ■ 

 their character as well as condition may be bettered by spreading over 

 Britain ; but, on the other hand, the character and condition of British 

 labourers must suffer, and we are afraid, in the contest, they will descend 

 much more than the former will rise. 



As to the remedy, we repeat, it must necessarily be gradual, in order to 

 be effective. Teach the Irish to marry less : for this purpose, teach them 

 to consider plenty of good food as indispensable as they now consider a 

 precarious and scanty meal of potatoes and milk; decent, clean, and 

 whole clothes as indispensable as they now regard dirty rags ; and a com- 



