The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-23 00:00:00

IRELAND.-TENANT-RIGHT.

Mr. S. CRAWFORD then rose to move " that the
laws relating to landed property in Ireland, as affecting
the rights and powers both of landlords and tenants,
require the immediate consideration of this House,
with a view to such alteration of those laws as will re-
move the obstacles at present existing to the improve-
ment of the soil and employment of the people." The
lion. Gentleman said that, in consequence of the failure
of the potato crop, the people were rapidly being ex-
terminated from Ireland, partly by ejectment, partly by
death, and partly by emigration. The people had be-
come degraded in mind and body. That was the case
in Connaught and some parts of the south, but there was
an exception to that state in one part of Ireland—and that
was in Ulster. In no part of the United Kingdom
was there a lower degree of poverty than in Ulster. In
other parts the occupiers of the soil had no interest in
it, but in Ulster the tenants held immediately under the
landlord, and under a system which gave encouragement
to improvement and security to the tenant for the money
he expended by the custom of what was called tenant-
right. He should 'propose that a landlord laying out
money for the improvement of an estate should have the
power of charging it on the inheritance, for it was hard
that a landlord should be called on to expend money on
an estate, the whole of which would go to enrich his
eldest son. Another measure required was to enable
landlords under entail to grant sufficiently long leases to
encourage the improvement of ill-cultivated and un-
drained lands, charging the inheritance with the money
expended on those improvements. The rights of inter-
mediate landlords subsisting between the occupying
tenants and the head landlord also demanded
attention. Provision should be made for satisfying
those rights in some way, either by allowing those inter-
mediate parties to claim a title in perpetuity or to sell to
the landlord on a valuation, so that the real occupier of
the soil might be brought into direct communication
with the landlord-in•chie►. The next measure was the
most important of all, namely the security of the
tenant who laid out his money in improvements. Neither
landlords nor tenant knew how to make agreements for
leases in the present state of uncertainty. If nothing
were to be done, let the public know it immediately;
but if the Government did not intend to propose a mea-
sure, he entreated them to bring it forward with as little
delay as possible. Until that was done they need expect
neither improvement nor increased employment in Ire-
land. Another beneficial measure would be for the
State to enter upon waste and uncultivated lands, which
could bo profitably improved, paying the owner
for them at a valuation proportionate to their present
condition. These lands might be drained, and then
re-sold, with a certainty of ample remuneration
to the Government, besides providing at. the same time
for the employment of the people. • Was it not melan-
choly to think that in Connaught, where the greatest
distress existed and where the people were starving for
want of employment, there were 1,560,000 acres of im-
provable land now lying waste? He thought that the
lands of those who did not pay their poor-rates should
be sold, and these defaulters treated like other bank-
rupts elsewhere. He did not see why the industrious
people of England or Ireland should be called upon to
make good the deficiency of such defaulters until
their property had been made answerable. Govern-
ment ought also to bring in a Bill to amend the En-
cumbered Estates Act of last session, so as to render
it more simple and snore applicable to the wants of the
country. It was his firm opinion that if the proper measures
were taken Ireland could provide for double or treble
her present population. But the Government must take
bold measures for the improvement of that country. If
they stood upon the abstract rights of landlords, and
would pass no measures for Ireland but such as were
suited to England, they would never do any good. Ire-
land required extraordinary measures, as the Govern-
ment had admitted when they set aside the liberties of
the subject in that country. It was nec scary that mea-
sures of a somewhat arbitrary character should be
passed with regard to the relation of property in Ire-
land, while at the same time he would provide for the
rights both of landlords and tenants. He brought for-
ward the present motion with no hostile feelings to the
Government, who, he trusted, were determined to pro-
pose those measures which the urgency of the case re-
quired.—(Hear.)
Sir W. SOMERVILLE frankly acknowledged that it
occasioned in his mind no small surprise to find, that