" On this
point, "the Parliament of Ireland was of opinion that the number of
representatives for Ireland ought to be one hundred." And he was not
disposed to differ from the conclusion to which it had come. He regarded
it, indeed, as "a matter of but small importance whether the number of
representatives from one part of the united empire were greater or less.
If they were enough to make known the local wants, to state the
interests and convey the sentiments of the part of the empire they
represented, it would produce that degree of general security which
would be wanting in any vain attempt to obtain that degree of
theoretical perfection about which in modern times they had heard so
much." He approved of "the principle which had been laid down upon this
part of the subject in the Parliament of Ireland--a reference to the
supposed population of the two countries, and to the proposed rate of
contribution. The proportion of contribution proposed to be established
was seven and a half for Great Britain, and one for Ireland; while in
the proportion of population Great Britain was to Ireland as two and a
half or three to one;[144] so that the result, on a combination of these
two calculations, would be something more than five to one in favor of
Great Britain, which was about the proportion which it was proposed to
establish between the representation of the two countries.
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