Perthshire, 4806 Aberdeenshire, 4022 Ayrshire, 3823 Lanarkshire, 3785 Fife, 3211 Forfarshire, 2882 Dumfriesshire, 2520 Renfrewshire, 2450 Stirlingshire, 2257 Mid-Lothian, 2071 ------ Constituency of ten Scottish} counties returning } _ten_ members, } 31,827 Let us now contrast that table with another containing the electoral statistics of ten English counties, or divisions of counties, returning _twenty_ members to Parliament:-- English Counties. No. of Constituency. Notts, N. D., 3817 Notts, S. D., 3539 Cambridge County, 3757 Hants, N. D., 3580 Salop, S. D., 3445 Sussex, W. D., 3289 Northumberland, 3063 Huntingdon County, 2892 Wilts, S. D., 2539 Rutland, 1908 ------ Constituency of ten English } counties returning } 31,829 _twenty_ members, } Here is an aggregate constituency, almost exactly equal in amount; and yet the number of members returned by the English is precisely double of that returned by the Scottish counties. This is a monstrous inequality; and it cannot be defended by reference to other anomalies. There can be no reason why Perthshire should not stand at least on an equality with Rutland, or why the metropolitan county of Scotland should not be put upon an equality with it. If the Tweed is to be an imaginary boundary, not separating two distinct nations, but flowing through one cordially united--and if, again, we are called upon, even partially, to remodel the constitution--let this enormous discrepancy in political power be immediately remedied, as remedied it can be, if Lord John Russell chooses to deal with the trash of small English boroughs as he ought to do. We, on our side, would have no objection whatever to make concessions. One or two of our Scottish counties are, in point of population and constituency, hardly worthy of the name. Bute, which was separated from Caithness in 1832, and which has only a constituency of 491, principally derived from the little town of Rothesay, might conveniently be incorporated with Dumbartonshire. Sutherland, with a wretched constituency of 207, ought certainly to be annexed to its nearest neighbour, Caithness; and, if further consolidation were required, Selkirk might be annexed to Peebles. In this way, only seven additional seats would be required to satisfy the just claims of the leading Scottish counties--claims which, if not satisfied just now, since the Whig Ministry have chosen