nuisance of secret political and religious societies again grew, it is not necessary here to narrate. But the existence of these Orange lodges, accompanied as they always must be by counter-organizations of Catholics, is the chief obstacle to peace and harmony in the north of Ireland. If they were for political purposes only, their raison-d'être might be justified, but the union of motives has a mischievous influence, producing confusion in politics, and bringing discredit on religion. The home mission-work of the Protestant churches is the true way to meet the Catholics as a religious body. Insulting demonstrations and uncharitable hatred will not commend to the Romanists the purer creed which the Orangemen profess to hold. On religious, on social, and on political grounds the Orange organization is one of the most baleful evils of Ireland. No wonder that an Englishman, Mr. Whitworth, of Drogheda, lately said, in referring to a false rumour of an intended massacre of Protestants, that he would far sooner entrust the safety of himself and his family among the Catholics of Drogheda than among the Orangemen of the north.

Statute laws cannot with efficiency be much in advance of public opinion, and the attempt to suppress Orange lodges would be even less successful than that of putting a stop to party processions. But

as the vast majority of wise and good men agree in the reprobation of such disturbances of the peace of society, let them give stronger expression to their opinions. Why should not the Synod of the Irish Church and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church lead the way in this work of Christian forbearance and generosity? Let them disown the sanction of such societies as in any way connected with religion and the spread of the Gospel, and let them declare the divorce of the Protestant from the political element of Orangeism. It is to be feared that politicians are merely using the religious prejudices of weaker brethren to promote their own secular and selfish ends, to the injury alike of true patriotism and true religion.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE NEWSPAPERS OF IRELAND.

Statistics of Journalism-The National Press-Political Ballads.

M

R. GRANT, in his "History of the Newspaper

Press," bears testimony to the great improvement which has taken place within the last few years in the external appearance of the Irish journals. "Not many years ago the Irish provincial newspapers resembled, both in typography and paper, the backwoods journals of America. Now the majority of their number look better than the majority of our provincial English papers. And in Dublin the penny press will not suffer by comparison with the penny press in London, either as regards paper or printing. Leaving the material part of Irish journalism, if one comes to speak of the mental part, we shall find that on the whole it need not shrink from a comparison with the journalism of Great Britain. In Dublin, Belfast, Cork, and other places, the ability with which the Irish papers is conducted is certainly

not inferior to that which is shown in the editorial department of the journalism of this country." Whatever weight may be given to Mr. Grant in other matters, his long experience as a metropolitan editor makes his opinion of value on matters relating to journalism.

In 1846 the number of Irish newspapers was 106. There was then only one daily paper, Saunders' News Letter. There were no cheap newspapers; now there are 42 penny papers. There are 19 daily papers in Ireland, 6 of which are published in Dublin, 6 in Belfast, 4 in Cork, and I in Waterford. The statistics of Irish journalism may be thus tabulated:

Daily, 19; tri-weekly, 6; bi-weekly, 26; weekly, 84; fortnightly, I; monthly, I; total, 137.

In their professed politics,-liberal, 34; liberal conservative, 6; liberal independent, 3; ultra-liberal, 2; conservative, 36; moderate conservative, 1; independent conservative, 2; Protestant conservative, 1.

These are the political descriptions given by the papers of themselves. There are besides about 45 calling themselves independent and neutral, many of which are advertising sheets chiefly, or are devoted to agricultural, commercial, shipping, and other special interests.

As to religion, there are 25 avowedly Protestant and Church of Ireland, 12 Roman Catholic, and only

I avowedly Presbyterian. But there are many others in which Catholic and Presbyterian influence is evident, both in editing and in management.

The prices of the papers are very various: 3 at d., 42 at Id., 4 at 1d., 29 at 2d., 3 at 24d., 30 at 3d., 5 at 3 d., 14 at 4d., 2 at 5d., and I at 6d. Four are gratis advertisement papers or circulars.

The oldest papers are the Dublin Gazette, 1711; the Evening Post, 1725; Belfast News Letter, 1737; Saunders' News Letter, 1746; Waterford Chronicle, 1760; Londonderry Fournal, 1772; Kerry Evening Post, 1774; Clare Fournal, 1776. The youngest is the Belfast Times, 1872.

Of the Dublin daily papers, those which have the largest circulation are the Freeman's Journal and the Irish Times, which are about equal. Next come the Daily Express, Morning and Evening Mail, and Saunders' News Letter.

Of the weekly newspapers, the largest circulation is claimed by the Weekly News, the Flag of Ireland, the Irishman, the Nation, and the Weekly Freeman.

The street sale of newspapers in Dublin is an institution of very long standing, much longer than in England. At the corner of the chief streets there are regular newsvendors, with or without stalls or chairs. Newsvending as a shop trade is quite of recent introduction. Since 1860 news shops have