Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-09-21
NUMBER 20.
ICHMOND WHIG.
CONDITION OF IRELAND.
IFrom III. London Tim.. Go. =.


what will ireland be twenty year, b.nc., T..,,.
ago " was country which bsflied every Statesman
""'" embarrassed every Government which bevldsrsS
10y P'"an'nropist and which drove every politician "A
ph'' "hen people reasoned about the matter tbsx
detected or seemed to detect, variety Of e... g. ~
-. ''u''- was said that both the central and
municipal governments Of the Island were conducted On
principles that the corporations we're eorun, and
'ys'en OF oppressive Partially psrvaded tho vice.
''a'on'. How, It was asked, could eouu-
"'s "snqnh or prosperous when governed with q
preference for one Of two religious sec,s Tn ob,,
was aTerred that these very religious diusr.pes.
we're in themselves the true source Of rrc,.,a 81 -,
A'' unsi the aatagonism OF P.piss and Prote,t.nt.
ua oe moIhed or eIuuguished there va, no bope ,or
n Progre" third opinion pointed TO the ipst;tut,o
." i'o roor Law asa panacss for all these tronbles
o nothing less was said, would ts,ch landlords tb.,
A"u iioorers their rights. and thus Introduce soma
pnHc'piss into social fs Nor were ,hers v,n,i,
spscoa''ons OF more desparug character I,u..n,a.s
og some thst the innate peopenyitie, Of Irsbn., -
e'en' 70 account for all the rniseries of Irs.,d a
people naturally improvident reckless des,,nts ~
sei'-controi, and totally un,men.ble to the s,l,,,
less mserabls. ~ o' ''e or
such were some Of the theories hszardsd ,,,,
ago respecting the state and prospects Of I,s,s' ys
suisng IN the extreme 10 observe how by a comhin.
Won o human enactmeuis, with the uscrutable dna
Ious rrosidence these real or presumed sources e
ireland evils have been successfully deal, Win IL
pItiiisy has been introduced into Irish goyernmsn,
,Uses'an, ascendeney has been abolished Orap
anu hioanunen have been prescribed togetber go
spirit has been every where dscountepanccd and @
Ges or other grievances were earnestly sought In J;h
hegsLation Bills and Irish Poor Laws These vers bu
man efforts but with them were copioned evon,s -
more awful character. If there was indeed snv,h; =;
the population OF ireland beyond reach OF
.nd poPuatGn was coon to be dispersed After famine
anu e'e mad siam their hundreds of Thousands ,hsr.
suddeny arose such irresistible passion for
that the island was emptied year or two of coSn,I
numbers oil Its Inhabitants The Exodus as Il il term
ed, commenced, and migration iks tba, ~ nrir-.,
uoes has been maintained almost yitbout rass.,;a .,
this very hour. If It is continued a, the nrssen. 80,
Ireland VIII soon be without Irishmeu and all difcus
process OF exhaustion. ffA1 1uus' 'no
e. there still remained one evil to be graprled with
an ev which bad indeed been represented as the nd.
menta! evil OF ALL When Miss Martipeau aoms a. 80.
back, was recapulatng these yariops tbsor;as
heends misiortunss, she pointed in copcusion N The
broad deduction that the chief difficulty of a-tha which
lay at the bottom Of every o,her-was the insacnr;, -
the title to Irish land. Il was tb, ns..,;, VI
primarily, perhaps, in the consctions TO which ish All
hao oeee subjected but aggravated by eyery specs ~
on the part Of Irish landlords which put all
IN iase position together and prevented At ono,
e investment o capital the distribution of money and
the recognitioA OF reciprocal duties and r;sbts 1;S
nea very large estates by proprieors whose
incomes were IN many cases little than nominal vb
were hopeiessy overwhelmed by encumbrances and who
we're nevertheless unable to effect either clearance or
@ me consequence was that being without any inter
IN .ne sood management OF the property thew eavs
themselves up to reckless ENJOYMENT OF what bey cenS
snatch out OF the FIRE, while the peas.ntry s.t,jed on
smah hoings incapable OF improvement and barely spf.
hcient TO support life but too ready TO follow bs
ample OF their superiors.
or this tremendous and, it seemed almost incpr,
oe er an enecua remedy has at length been found In
the Encumbered Estates Court The Operations or bi.
court have restored Irish land to its proner y,u "a
easd an active and serviceable proprietary into
hea responsible propretors have been substituted for
Honua owners, large amount Of fresh cap.I has hear
poured into the country and reorganization of .oc;s,
oein gradually accomplished Irish landlords are ro
Class competent TO the performance of their
natua duues and as the old conditions OF tenancy ar.
improved at the came time there will soon We bon. h
general uniformity OF agricultural weldoipr op bo,h
s'dts oi ST. Georges Chsnue. There was perbaps no
noint on which the difficulties of Ireland nrss.r,ns
tnore desperate prospect than on this and xs, ,hSs
ue siuple and expeditions operation Of weconsersJ
measure condition OF hopeless embarrassment has baan
exchanged for Of the most cheering and e,,sn.;
proyement. '"-
The reader will probably remember the nature of tb,
institution which has acted with such SURPRISING
The Encumbered Estates Court" was court
'tn very compentous machinery, and at very small
expense, for facilitating the transfer OF .pcumh.red T;h
property o! prompt and summary process The leading
OF s Character was ths-that all sales Of land
erected under It's operation carried with them valid and
uLimpeachabIe title to the estate transferred b,t.vsr
m'ent nave oeen ihe encumorances embarrassnepts
Per0usy Suossns, whatever the orgin,l unsouudness
ne 10 which no exceptions whatever could be afterwards
sken. by this regulation inuumerabe charges were
Foioeu' dicuties otherwise almost insuperabe were
Surmoanteu IN moment, and so attractive was the pros
Pect presented that purchasers reasonable prices have
never been found lacking. Irish land was awsys ss god
as Engsh land except for its ie and its dspsriIy In
ns respect was now removed Some idea may be formed
oil the enormous operations of the Court from the fc,
that up to Midsummer last the gross proceeds Of the
sales Effected through It's agency exceeded thirteen mil
mons sterling, .hile property to amount s,ir re.
mains for adudcson. At frst the cry of con6scs,ion
was raised ag,nst the establishment but the actu.
that the prices obtained for estates were AZ least eons ~
those which could under the favorable crcum,spces
oeen Otherwise realized So manifest 10 short have
he advantages OF the measure become that even in
nose quarters where the greatest hostility was felt to-
wards us authors the Court is plainly a,
our lrsh intelligence will show, be most bene6calin
sa'ution We trust that the consequences may indeed
serve 10 complete the regeneration Of Ireland aud that
win responsible proprietary and we'll employed popu
snon that country may at length be assin Hated In its
tranquility and its prosperity to the remainder OF the
British Islands.