The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-04 00:00:00

TIIII LAND RETOLUTION IN IRELAND.

The Irish Encumbered Estates Conamissioa is now in
its seventh year of office, and it will not be uninterest-
ing to those who have watched the working of that re-
markable tribunal to give an example of the complete
revolution it has effected, or rather is effecting, in the
agricultural and social condition of Ireland. The coun-
ties of Galway and Mayo contain 2,800,000 acres of
land, or about one-seventh of the area of the island.
In 1850 the landed proprietary of these two counties
were perhaps the most hopelessly involved in Ireland.
The solvent exceptions were few, chiefly in the eastern
portion where some estates were comparatively free from
, and comfortably tenanted;
. including the great lakes and
dexhibited little more than the
agriculture—the land untouched
by capital, and even its natu-
ehwb niyhac
primitiveihuel
enloa attnbehrrdeaps nrreoi cesi
of the
ohwueteenne
rf:
far
districts,
uswrf
tl
unimproved
viuseetrt,
des
natu-
ral resources unnoted, except by the casual glance of
tourists in search of the picturesque. Now, on every
side are unmistakeable sig4s of improvement and pro-
gress. Many estates are being furnished with well-coa-
greeted farmsteads, drainage is becoming general, a
styleoffathrmanindgouisbled within the last five years.
adopted, and the wages of
higherlabo
636,000 a
labour
rare more
acres—'.e., about one-fourth of the available
superficies of those two counties, have already changed
hands, producing a total sum of upwards of 2,000,0001.,*
and petitions for sale are still pouring in unceasingly.
The number of proprietors over the extent sold
has been increased fourfold, and about one-third
are purchasers at and under 2,0001. ; these, with the
English, Scotch, and Ulster farmers, settled on Clew-
bay, and in various other localities, contributing to form
the nucleus of an independent middle class, the want of
which has been hitherto so injOrious to the political and
social interests of this country.
About one-fifth of the whole number of purchasers -are
from the other side of the Channel ; but though the Eng-
lish and Scotch have everywhere set a good example as
farmers in occupation, they have not as, proprieters,
generally speaking, managed their estates with as ranch
prudence and profit es Irish purchasers.
Thus the capital and skilled industry of our British
neighbours have been drawn to that region furthest re-
moved in geographical position, as well as in industrial
progress, from the seat of Government and superior
civilisation. It is gratifying to state that the improve-
ment in our land market has enabled several of the ori-
ginal proprietors to preserve a portion of their ancient
inheritances, and they still reside among a tenantry by
whom they are beloved and respected. The mineral re-
sources and fisheries of the west have not kept pace
with agricultural progress, nor has the vast water power
of the great lakes been as yet appropriated for manufac-
turing purposes ; indeed little decided prqgress can be
expected in these branches of industry until Connaught
is permeated by a system of railway communication from
south to north, and Galway linked with the manufactur-
ing province of Ulster.
The Great Northern line will probably be soon com-
menced, and subsidiary branches will follow, thus com-
pleting those physical aids to development of natural
resources which facility and cheapness of transport in-
variably confer.

•£2,015,000 7s. 7d.