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xv Once the renunciation issue had been settled and constitutional independence accepted by all, parliamentary reform became the major topic of political interest. It is an historical truism that the British House of Commons at this time was archaic and corrupt in its representative structure; the Irish House was altogether worse. It consisted of 300 members, of whom 64 sat for the thirty-two counties, two for Dublin University and the remainder represented 117 electoral districts all of which, for convenience , will be called boroughs. Each district sent two members to the House of Commons. These 117 included about 100 boroughs (properly so called), some ten cities, and about seven manors. There was no distinction, except in the narrowest legal sense, between manors and boroughs ; and most of the "cities" were places of episcopal residence or ancient towns too small to be considered cities even by the standards of the eighteenth century. Perhaps only five or six towns were large and populous enough to 363 xv Once the renunciation issue had been settled and constitutional independence accepted by all, parliamentary reform became the major topic of political interest. It is an historical truism that the British House of Commons at this time was archaic and corrupt in its representative structure; the Irish House was altogether worse. It consisted of 300 members, of whom 64 sat for the thirty-two counties, two for Dublin University and the remainder represented 117 electoral districts all of which, for convenience , will be called boroughs. Each district sent two members to the House of Commons. These 117 included about 100 boroughs (properly so called), some ten cities, and about seven manors. There was no distinction, except in the narrowest legal sense, between manors and boroughs ; and most of the "cities" were places of episcopal residence or ancient towns too small to be considered cities even by the standards of the eighteenth century. Perhaps only five or six towns were large and populous enough to 363 IRISH POLITICS AND SOCIAL CONFLICT merit the contemporary title of city if used in a social and general, as opposed to a merely legalistic, sense. For the sake of convenience, therefore, it seems reasonable to apply the term "borough" to all electoral districts other than Dublin University and the thirty-two counties. There were at most only about six "real" cities-Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Belfast, Waterford, and Londonderry. Of these, Limerick and Belfast had so few electors that they were virtually "rotten" boroughs; only the remaining four cities, and at most half-a-dozen other towns, had an electorate sufficiently numerous and independent to exercise the franchise freely. As in England, a rotten or otherwise corrupt borough was one in which representation was controlled by intimidation or bribery or a combination of both on the part of its "patron," who was usually the principal landlord of that electoral district. Sometimes a man could be the patron but not the landlord as in the case of Newtownards, Co. Down where the representation was "owned" by the Ponsonby family, though the great landlord of this small town and surrounding country was Robert Stewart. There was a general belief that most of the counties were reasonably free from corruption and, consequently, their representatives had considerable prestige . In fact, however, the landed aristocrats dominated the election in the majority of counties. There were many lists of the boroughs and counties with descriptions of the number and types of electors in each, and the names of the patrons or of those who exercised a controlling influence. The Dublin Evening Post of January 25, 1783 published one (along with an earnest plea for reform from its author, the anonymous "Molyneux"), and the Volunteers drew up another towards the end of the same year. It is published in the IRISH POLITICS AND SOCIAL CONFLICT merit the contemporary title of city if used in a social and general, as opposed to a merely legalistic, sense. For the sake of convenience, therefore, it seems reasonable to apply the term "borough" to all electoral districts other than Dublin University and the thirty-two counties. There were at most only about six "real" cities--Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Belfast, Waterford, and Londonderry. Of these, Limerick and Belfast had so few electors that they were virtually "rotten" boroughs; only the remaining four cities, and at most half-a-dozen other towns, had an electorate sufficiently numerous and independent to exercise the franchise freely. As in England, a rotten or otherwise corrupt borough was...

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