[8] The population of Ireland was at its highest in 1845. It was then estimated to be 8,295,061. It is estimated to be, in June, 1867, 5,556,262: showing a decrease of 2,738,099 in twenty-two years.
[9] One thing is certain,—it is that the ladies who live within city precincts do as ladies do in all other parts of the world; for we learn that at the meeting of the City Commissioners of Sewers, held at Guildhall, on Tuesday, the 24th of September last, presided over by our friend, Mr. Deputy de Jersey, Dr. Letheby, the Medical Officer of Health, presented his report, in which he stated that there had been 103 births in the city during the previous fortnight, or just at the rate of 2,610 for the twelve months. The Doctor deserves his title, for only 76 deaths (being 9 less than the average for 10 years) were registered in the same period. Reference to death statistics for the whole kingdom shows that the mortality among children under 5 years old is slightly above the average, 31, as against a little under 30, which would be the average on 76 for the whole kingdom. The 14 over 60 years of age who died, are below the average for the whole kingdom; it is about, 18 for each 76 of the population, at the period of death.
[10] The street nomenclature of London is very extraordinary. Those unacquainted with it would hardly believe that there are as many as 50 King Streets, nearly as many Queen Streets, above 60 George Streets, 60 William Streets, and about 45 “New” Streets. This last name often, as may be supposed, greatly misleads strangers, who imagine that such streets are only of recent construction. Until the modern conversion of the “New Road” into City Road, Euston Road, and Marylebone Road, there were along its entire length places and terraces with every conceivable name, and as many as between fifty and sixty different enumerations of numbers. Nor must it be considered that recently-constructed London is exempt from blemishes of this nature. The word “Westbourne” appears no less than nineteen times in the Postal Guide—there are Westbourne Crescent, Westbourne Grove (the Regent Street of Westburnia), and then not only Westbourne Park, but Westbourne Park Cottages, Westbourne Park Crescent, Westbourne Park Place, Westbourne Park Road, Westbourne Park Road West, Westbourne Park Terrace, Westbourne Park Villas, Westbourne Place (Bishop’s Road), Westbourne Square, Westbourne Street (Paddington), Westbourne Terrace (Bayswater), Westbourne Terrace (Bishop’s Road), and Upper Westbourne Terrace—so far for the northern side of Hyde Park; but on the southern there are—Westbourne Street, Pimlico (to distinguish it from Westbourne Street, Paddington), and Westbourne Place, Eaton Square. Finally, the list winds up with Westbourne Road, Holloway.
Not so numerous in its locations, but equally puzzling and unsatisfactory, is “Kensington.” Besides that name, there are—Kensington Crescent, Kensington Road, Kensington Gate, Kensington Gore, High Street, Kensington; Kensington Hall, North End, Fulham, and Kensington Square on the south side of Hyde Park. Kensington Palace and Kensington Palace Gardens are situate between Kensington and Bayswater, Kensington Gardens Square is in Paddington, Kensington Gardens Terrace is in Bayswater Road, Kensington Park Gardens and Kensington Park Terrace are at Notting Hill.
It is needless to dwell upon the inconvenience and trouble to which such nomenclature gives rise. Sir John Thwaites, Tite, M.P., Ayrton, M.P., and other your colleagues of the Metropolitan Board of Works, to the rescue!
[11] Judging by the appearance of the traffic receipts published for the first thirty-eight weeks of 1867, it is probable that their total amount for the year will not fall short of £41,000,000.
[12] Here is one of a great many instances that might be quoted, from the Irish correspondence of the Times of no later date than the 1st of October, 1867.—“The necessity for having some efficient government control of railways, apart from the question of purchase, is illustrated by the unsatisfactory relations now subsisting between the Great Southern and Western Railway and the Kilkenny Junction line, which joins the former at Maryborough. The Great Southern are naturally unwilling to facilitate an opposition line, and pursue a policy of obstructiveness, which the directors conceive to be legitimate and expedient for the protection of their own interests, but which the public cannot quite understand, and find extremely inconvenient. Passengers are exposed to the risk of missing the train to Dublin on reaching Maryborough, and at Kilkenny the Great Southern Company will neither allow their waggons to come on the rival line with goods nor to enter the store of the Kilkenny Company. The consequence is that goods and cattle have to be taken out of the waggons at one part of the same track and placed in other vehicles at another part to resume their journey. It is hardly, perhaps, to be expected that companies should be disposed to assist competitors, but the interests of the public require that the intention of Parliament to afford increased accommodation shall not be frustrated.”
[13] During 1866 the coal produce of the various districts of the kingdom was as follows:—Durham and Northumberland, 25,194,550 tons; Cumberland, 1,490,481 tons; Yorkshire, 9,714,700 tons; Derbyshire, 4,750,520 tons; Nottinghamshire, 1,600,560 tons; Leicestershire, 866,560 tons; Warwickshire, 775,000 tons; Staffordshire and Worcestershire, 12,298,580 tons; Lancashire, 12,320,500 tons; Cheshire, 895,500 tons; Shropshire, 1,220,700 tons; Gloucestershire and Somersetshire, 1,850,700 tons; Monmouthshire, 4,445,000 tons; South Wales, 9,376,443 tons; North Wales, 2,082,000 tons; Scotland, 12,625,000 tons; and Ireland, 123,750 tons; making the total 101,630,544 tons above stated. It will be gathered from that statement that Durham and Northumberland have furnished one-fourth of the total yield of the kingdom. It is said that the coal-fields of these counties are gradually lessening; no doubt they are, although it will be probably three centuries before coal production there will cease to be profitable. But on the other hand, it is but a few years since the coal trade of South Wales assumed important proportions; still later, those of the Forest of Dean and of South Yorkshire. The coal-fields of Derbyshire are of vast extent, and extraction from them bears no proportion to what it can be in three or four years, owing to the opening of new and extensive collieries, especially in the Southern part of the county. Leicestershire also abounds in very good coal, the yield of which can, and no doubt will, be rapidly stimulated by means of the Midland Railway. We are surprised to see it figured for so small an amount in the above statement.
The estimated value of the 101,630,544 tons of coals raised in 1866 was £25,407,635, at the places of their production. There were 3,188 collieries at work, being an increase of 373 since 1855.
[14] Of these, France took 1,586,327 tons in 1865, and 1,841,335 tons in 1866. In 1865, Austria took 97,226 tons; Belgium, 21,810; Prussia, 577,183; Russia, 477,033; Spain, 409,497; the “Zolverein,” 586,507. The Coals imported from England into Belgium are used exclusively in the manufactories of Ghent and its neighbourhood.