The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-24 00:00:00

naged by a resident gentleman, who supplies, as far as possible,
the want of a resident landlord; other estates are intrusted to
the care of persons in almost every situation of life.
The business of agents in former times was confine l almost
exclusively to the letting of farms, and enforcing the pl 3 ment
of rent.

Fortunately a better practice in this respect is beginning to
prevail, and most agents now think it their duty to acquire a
more intimate knowledge of the property and of the condition
of the people. But there is still room for improvetm nt in this
respect.

In former times the practice of accepting bribes and
gratuities by agents, bailiffs, or others connected with the
estates, was frequently denounced, arid was, we fear, too
general.
We cannot say that this has altogether ceased, although we
are satisfied that such occurrences are becoming more rare.

At an early period of our inquiry we directed our attention
to the situation of estates placed under receivers in the Court
of Chancery or Court of Exchequer, and we obtained some
returns showing the extent of property so circumstanced.
According to the usual practice, when a farm under a re-
ceiver came out of lease, a sort of auction was hell in the
master's office, and the land was let to the highest bidder, and
as great difficulties were experienced in obtaining the sanction
of the Court in making any outlay or taking any necessary step
in the management, these circumstances necessarily caused all
property under the Courts to be left in a very unimproved state,
and placed the tenants in an impoverished condition. Alsny
complaints on this subject will be found throughout the
evidence.
The present Lord Chancellor and the Chief Baron of the
Court of Exchequer have recently issued orders which will
tend to remove some of the evils consequent upon the former
practice on the properties of lunatics and minors; and as the
attention of both these Learned Judges is fully alive to the
subject, we have no doubt that such further improvements will
be made as may be necessary to make the new system work
properly for the advantage of the property and the tenants.
Some difficulties occur in the case of properties brought into
Court to be administered for the benefit of creditors ; but it
has been strongly recommended, and is, in our opinion, highly
desirable, that a similar system should be made applicable to
these caws, if the powers of the Court be sufficient ; but if
this should-not be the case, we trust that the Learned Judges
will not hesitate to cause application to be made to the Legis-
lature for such alteration in the law as may appear to them ne-
cessary, in order to enable them to administer an estate for the
benefit of all persons having an interest in it.
But as an encumbered estate must at all times be mancged
at great expense and at much disadvantage under the Courts,
we recommend that every facility, consistent with safety,
should be given for bringing such estates to an early sale,
rather than allowing them to remain for years the subject of
expensive litigation.
SALE OF ESTATES.

It now rarely happens that land in Ireland is brought into
the market for sale in lots of a moderate or small size.
.Estates
are so generally encumbered by family settlements or other-
wise, that the expense, delay, and difficulty, which would at-
tend the dividing them, so as to sell in separate or detached por-
tions, deter a proprietor from taking this course, although a
larger sum might be raised by it in the whole.
We believe that there is a large number of persons in Ire-
land possessing a small amount of capital, which they would
gladly employ in the purchase and cultivation of land, and a
still larger number, now resident in different parts of the coun-
try, and holding land for uncertain or limited terms at a rent,
who wou'd most cheerfully embrace the opportunity of becom-
ing proprietors. The gradual introduction of such a class of
men would be a great improvement in the social condition of
Ireland. A much larger proportion of the population than at
present would become personally interested in the preservation
of peace and good order ; and the prospect of gaining admis-
sion into this class of small landowners would often stimulate
the renting farmer to increased exertion and persevering
industry. _ .

We think that some facilities may safely be given towards
making out titles to land, so as to lessen delay and expense,
particularly with reference to the searches necessary under the
system of registry now established in Ireland. It has also been
suggested that expense would be ultimately saved in the trans-
fer of property, if the memorial should contain a full copy of
the deed registered ; and it certainly appears to us, that even
if this suggestion should not be adopted to its full extent, it is
necessary, with a view to prevent fraud and litigation, that all
the powers given, or restrictions imposed by settlements or trust
deeds, shoul be fully set out. Every suggestion, however, for
the attainment of these objects, will require eonsideratien by
persons of the highest professional eminence, before any attempt
shall be made to carry it into effect.
AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.
There is a great desire amongst all classes in Ireland for im-
provement in agricultural knowledge.
In many parts of the country farming societies have been
established upon a large scale.
Without wishing to underrate the usefulness of such socie-
ties, we must consider as even more important the adoption of
such plans as shall give to the small farmer practical instruction
in the hest method of cultivation. In many parts of Ireland
the question is not alone, as in England or Scotland, whether
improved cultivation will enable a tenant to make a better profit
or to pay a better rent, but whether the small portions in which
it is certain that, to- many years at least, the lan I must be oc-
cupied, will enable the ho!der to provide sustenance for his
family, and pay even a moderate rent.
The establishment and maintenance of agricultural schools,

such as that carried on at Templernoyle; in the county of
Derry, or such smaller establishments as that at Larne de-
scribed in the'evidence of Dr. Kirkpatrick—the employment of
an agriculturist who shall give personal instruction and assist-
ance to the small farmer and peasant—the introduction of a
good system of draining, of better implements, better seeds,
and improved breeds of cattle—the cultivation by spade, or at
the least possible expense, of a small farm as a model, which it
it may be within the reach of a poorperson to follow ; all these
are methods of teaching, each or any of which a landlord or an
agent may employ upon a greater or a smaller scale, according
to circumstances, and by the use of which he will lay the sure
and solid foundation of general improvement.
The mot advantageous mode of making such arrange-
ments must be left to the judgment of individuals as the eases
arise ; but we wish to direct attention particularly to the
school at Larne, in which town some public-sriritel indivi-
duals have taken a few acres of land at a very high rent,
and have there had imparted by the master of the natirmal
school such scientific and practical farming knowledge to
some of the day scholars attending as has excited a spirit
of inquiry even in Scotland, so famous for its husbandry,
which is likely to add extremely to the utility of the paro-
chial schools there.

The Committee on Agricultural Education, appointed at
the meeting of the Highland Society in Glasgow, in reference
to the high testimonial transmitted to Dr. Kirkpatrick, thus
express themselves, " We cannot but attach value to this do-
cument on account of the opinion it expresses of so many ex-
perienced and intelligent persons—as to its being practicable
to impart to young boys much agricultural instruction which
will be useful to them in after-life—as to its being practicable to
impart it in the existing schools, and without interfering wish
the course of education there—and as to its being desirable to
introduce such instruction into the parish and other elemen-
tary schools in Scotland."
EMIGRATION.

We have formerly adverted to the report of the Committee
on emigration, made in 1826 and 1827, strongly recommend.
ing the encouragement of emigration from Ireland. The fa-
vourable opinion of the Committee of 1830 has been already
stated by us.
The Committee on the state of Ireland in 1832, also propose
emigration as a mode of alleviating the distress occasioned by
the removal of tenants, and recommend the application of pub-
lic money in aid of any sum which may be given to the removed
and destitute tenant by his landlord.
The Committee of Poor Inquiry, " consider it due to the
whole community, and the labouring class in particular, that
such of the able-bodied as may still be unable to find free and
profitable employment in Ireland, should be secured support
only through emigration or as a preliminary to it." 'they
state, however, that they " do not look to emigration as an
object to be permanently pursued upon any extensive scale, nor
by any means as the ►vain relief for the evils of Ireland ; but
do look to it for the present, as an auxiliary, essential to com-
mencing a course of amelioration."

The Committee on Public Works (second report) in 1835,
on the contrary, cannot concur in the opinion that the social
disease of Ireland is produced by a real excess of population.
" It may be doubted whether the country does contain a suffi-
cient quantity of laboar to develop its resources; and while the
empire is loaded with taxation to defray the charges of its wars,
it appears most politic to use its internal resources for improving
the condition of the population, by which the revenue of the
Exchequer must be increased, rather than encourage emigra-
tion, by which the revenue would suffer a diminution, or than
leave the labouring classes in their present state, by which po-
verty, crime, and the charges of Government must be inevitably
extended."

We should be sorry to see the system of emigration pushed
beyond the extent to which it is called for by the population,
or forced upon any persons who do not cheerfully lock to
Its adoption as a means of providing for themselves or their
families; but, after considering the recommendations thus
repeatedly made upon this subject, and the evidence of Mr.
Godley, in which the different views of this subject are well
given, we desire to express our own conviction that a well
organised system of emigration may be of very great service,
as one amongst the measures which the situation of the occu-
piers of land in Ireland at present calls for. We cannot think
that either emigration or the extension of public works, or the
reclamation and improvement lof land, can singly remove the
existing evil. All these remedies must be provided concur-
rently, and applied according to the circumstances of each case.
In this view, and to this extent only, we wish to direct atten-
tion to the subject of emigration. Since the publication of the
reports from which we have made extracts, useful regulations
have been made and carried into effect, under the superinten-
dence of the Emigration-office, with a view to tie assistance of
those who are disposed to emigrate, and we think that without
any considerable outlay of public money, further encourage-
ment may usefully be given by the Government with a similar
object. Prooably the most unobjectionable and useful mode
of affording assistance from the public resources, would be
to grant portions of land, at a very low or almost nominal
price, to those who could show that they are able and ready
by themselves or their dependents, to settle and cultivate
it; and it appears to us, also, that some advantage would be
gained if measures could be taken in this country, by the Emi-
gration Office in common with landlords, or with the persons
desirous to emigrate, for securing a location to the emigrant,
upon his arrival in Canada, and in some instances providing
labour at fair wages, by which means the preliminary steps
might also be taker, in preparing land for cultivation. By the
assistance of such remunerative labour, the poorest class of
emigrants may look forward to the purchase of a spot of land
for themselves.
Much consideration of details will be necessary to give prac-
tical effect to these suggestions, which may be entered upon by
others more usefully than in this report.
WASTE LANDS.

Connected with many of the largest estates in Ireland, there
are extensive tracts of land thinly peopled, arid affording op-
portunities for easy reclamation.
Without going the length of supposing that employment for
the people upon bringing such lands into a profitable cultivation is
to furnish a cure for the evils of Ireland, we concur in the
opinion so strongly expressed in former reports, that very great
advantages may be expected from judicious arrangements for
that purpose.
Undertakings of this nature will be attended with more or
less benefit, according to the greater or less degree of judg-
ment exercised in the selection of spots to be reclaimed, and of
prudence in the mode of carrying on the operation.
We do not wish to encumber this report with agricultural
details or calculations; and general statements of expencss,
or of profit, frequently tend rather to mislead than to in-
struct. IVe prefer, therefore, appending to this report some
notes of Mr. Griffith's (No. 7), as to the extent and nature of
the waste lands of Ireland, and we shall give in the Appendix
to the evidence, a short account of some of the attempts at
reclamation, which we ourselves visited, anti several docu-
ments relating
Among the projects formed for this purpose, we may
notice the Irish Waste Land Improvement Company, incor-
porated by 6 and 7 Wm. IV., c
money by shares, to take land upon, 9le7a,
in
no
operationobtain a return by letting
and
land in an s
ea authorised o
trhi dp
purpose
sreai raise
emllihgg
suchi r,
or s
improved state. That
since
tsie'everPalassitnrgactt'sf
the Act,
hasand beenhas
takenupon
upon which their capital has been employed in giving
encouragement and assistance to many poor labouring families,
by bringing such land into cultivation; but their funds are not
'large, and their operations are, therefore, limited. The evidence
of Colonel Robinson, managing director of the company, may