[Mr. M. Healy].
The hon. Member for Salisbury did make
some feeble attempt to prove that in recent
years the experiment of the Union was not
perhaps a brilliant success, but, at any
rate, not the ghastly failure it had been
in the earlier years, during which it has
been in force. Where is the proof of the
prosperity which the hon. Gentleman tells
us the Union has brought to Ireland?
Ireland in 1801 had a population of
5,000,000. If she had progressed at the
same ratio as other parts of the Empire
she would now have a population of nearly
20,000,000. Where has the balance of 15,000,000
gone? They are scattered all over the earth. Why
are they so scattered? Scotland in 1801 had
a population of less than 2,000,000. She has now
a greater population than Ireland. The hon.
Member spoke of the prosperity which the
Union had brought to Ireland. Will he
explain these pregnant facts? The hon.
Member, quoting the hon. Member for North
Tyrone, had the courage to say that Ireland
did not prosper under Grattan's Parliament.
Why! the locus classicus is the speech of
Lord Clare introducing the Act of Union,
in which he gave a glowing account of the
progress in wealth, commerce, and manufactures
which had taken place during the period of the
independence of the Irish Parliament. My
conviction is that, as we have lost in
population so we have lost in wealth
during the century. We hear a great deal
of the imports and exports of Ireland.
Certainly, the figures are startling. It appears
that we have a greater trade, imports and exports,
per head of the population than any country
in Europe. I have a profound belief that these
remarkable figures are not evidence of Irish
prosperity. At the date of the Union our
imports and exports were not as large, but
the farmer produced what he required. Now
the agriculturist in Ireland sells what
he grows and buys everything he consumes,
and yet we are told that these
extraordinary figures of imports are proof
of Irish prosperity.
