ds the requisite security to the cultivators of the
soil; and it may be of some service that I should give here the result
of my enquiries.

Of the six counties confiscated and planted in Ulster, Londonderry,
as I have already remarked, was allotted to the London companies. The
aspect of their estates, is on the whole, very pleasing. In the midst
of each there is a small town, built in the form of a square, with a
market-house and a town-hall in the centre, and streets running off at
each side. There are almost invariably three substantial and handsome
places of worship--the parish church, always best and most prominent,
the presbyterian meeting-house, and the catholic chapel, with nice
manses for the ministers, all built wholly or in part by grants from
the companies.

Complaints were constantly made against the Irish Society for its
neglect of its trust, for refusing to give proper building leases, and
for wasting the funds placed at its disposal for public purposes. The
details are curious and interesting, throwing much light on the
social history of the times. The whole subject of its duties and
responsibilities, and of its anomalous powers, was fully discussed
at a meeting of the principal citizens, most of them strongly
Conservative, on the 28th of May, 1866. There had been a discussion
on the subject in the House of Commons, in which Lord Claud Hamilton,
then member for the borough, distinguished himself. Mr. Maguire
brought the Society before Parliament in an able speech. The
legislature, as well as the public, were then preoccupied with the
Church question. But, doubtless, the maiden city will make her voice
heard next session, and insist on being released from a guardian who
always acted the part of a stepmother.

The Irish Society has been before three parliamentary tribunals, the
Commissioners of Municipal Corporations for England and Wales, the
Royal Commission of Enquiry into the state of the Corporation
of London, and the Irish Municipal Commissioners. The English
Commissioners say:--'We do not know of any pretext or argument for
continuing this municipal supremacy of the Irish Society. A control
of this kind maintained at the present day by the municipality of
one town in England over another town in Ireland, appears to us
so indefensible in principle, that our opinion would not have been
changed, even if it were found that hitherto it has been conducted
with discretion and forbearance.'

The Irish