Star.
London, England, 1823-02-17 00:00:00

F 01: TIM STAR.

TO THE RIGHT HON. ROBERT PEEL.
HIS MAJESTY'S PRINCIPAL SECRETARY OF STATE FOR
THE HOME DEPARTMENT, &c. &c.

SlR—From the printed votes of the Hour:! of
Commons, I am led to believe that the affairs of Ire-
land are about to occupy the serious attention of the
Representatives of the Nation. The evils which allict
that country are neither of recent date nor of trifling
importance, and yet I believe they are less understood
than any other part of our dome,tic polity. No ten
Members of the Hattie of Commons, if consulted se-

pa; ately, will agree either as to the cause of the
existing evils, or the measures by which they may he
reme.Ned. II tying leisure, during the last summer,
I applied myself diligently to acquire a knowledge
of the state of Ireland. I have had rno,..t favourable
opportunities, and believe I am placed in circum-
stances to judge somewhat impartially. I am neither
an Irishnian nor an Orangeman, a Clergyman or a
Catholic. I have a particular regard for all that has
been established by the wisdom of our ancestors, yet
no objection to reform the abuses which time or the
evil passions of man may have introduced into the
Constitution or Government of the Church or State
1 have addressed this letter to you, because I knos
that few have studied the affairs of Ireland with mo
ri
sincerity, and- no man ever left office in that country
more beloved or more respected by all parties, than
Mr. Peel. It is only from the difficulty which sur-
rounds men high in office to come at the truth that
I have presumed to lay before you the result of My
inquiries, and td submit to your better judgment. the
information I have obtained. When party feelings
run so high as they unfortunately do in the- Sister
Kingdom, it is not easy to decide whose representa-
dons deserve the most credit. In the inultiplicity.of,
details, however, into which my correspondents and
friends have entered, there are a few in which they
all agree, and they, in themselves, are so evident
that, in my humble opinion, they form the great
source of all the discontent, arid much of the misery,
that is found to exist in that divided cnnntry.
The first subject to which I would call your atten-
tion, is the long leases which have been granted of
4he greater number of estates to what are called
"middle men," and by whom the property is let and
sub-let to the poor peasantry. These middle men
having obtained leases for a great number of years,
or upon lives, have so completely the command of
the soil that the proprietor, if ever so well disposed
to kuidy the advantage and improve the condition
of his actual tenantry, really has it not in his power
to interfere ; nay, I am informed of more than one
instance where the proprietor has been compelled to
purchase permission of his *own tenant to build a
house upon his own property—absenteeship, there-
fore, though a great evil, is not, 'under existing cir-
cumstances, of that importance which is generally
attached to it.

The next subject of complaint is the tithes—do not
mistake me—it is not that tithes are paid or de-
manded, but rather the way and manner in which.)
they are collected. The Clergy, from a love o►f ease,
or, as I verily believe,,because it is the custom of the
country, and that, in some cases, they actually dare
not do otherwise, must have their middle men too, in
the character of a Tithe Proctor.

Now, Sir, I am happy .to find that'the subject of
tithes is to be brought before the House by your able
suCcexsor in the Irish Government ; and although I
may only repeat what is already well known to you
and to Mr.Goulburn, the remarks.of my friends have
made such an impression upon my mind, that I can
not resist the pleasure of going over the subject with
you. It appears, that in the months of Jiine or July,
when the crops have the best appearance, this Tithe
Proctor, who of course has a lease of the whole
parish at a fixed rent, tends into the farmers' fields
certain persons who are considered qua!ified for this
duty, and these persons fix the value of the tithe in
each field. As soon as this is accomplished, notice
is given that on a day fixed the tithe will be disposed
of by auction, and on the day appointed, the Proctor
his Attorney, and the Auctioneer assemble, and with'
a good supply of whiskey they commence business.
The poor peasant, anxious to save himself the trouble
and vexation of having his tithe collected by a'
stranger, is naturally anxious to be the purchaser ofl
that of his own small farm ; but if a neighbour owes
him any grudge, he bids against hill until the tithe'
is run up to perhaps ten times its value. This I call,
the first stage in the career of misery ; but as every j
additional shilling that is offered is rewarded with a
glass of whiskey, Pat is very soon in a condition to
care little what he offers, even without the stimulus .1
of a competitor. As soon as the sale is completed,
the Proctor retires to the parish ale-house, where ac- ,
ceptances are immediately given for the amount of
the tithe purchased by each individual ; and as every
peasant must have the names of two or three others
to his bill as securities, thus three, or perhaps four
persons become equally involved in the improvideut
or drunken bargain which the individual has made.
These bills are no sooner due than they are put into
the hands of the Attorney, who immediately takes
legal measures to recover the amount; and as the
Irish are not proverbial for their forethought,- in
nineteen cases out of twenty legal proceedings are
necessary. After all the expense that can be in,
curred has been incurred, the peasant, who has trot
the means of payment, is at last, allowed to com-
pound with the Attorney, -who again take; his bill at
long date, now doubled by .the lase. expenses, and
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