Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-12-14
Land Monopoly in Ireland abolished.

Land Monopoly in Ireland abolished.
Our Irish subscribers at Spring field
and elsewhere, will be pleased to lean
that an important revolution has taken
place in Ireland. 1t is. however. a
constitutional and bloodless one. The
broad acres of many an extravagant,
reckless. fox-hunting landlord have
passed under the hammer OF the In
numbered Estates Commissioners, and
been transferred 10 other owners. that
lawful debts might be satisfied, and
the long scores Of old creditors wiped
out. For six years the Incumbered
Estates Act has been IN operation in
Ireland, and property which. hitherto.
creditors could not have reached under
the law Of primogeniture. has been
sold for the satisfaction Of all "debts,
dues and demands" AS the law stood
before the year le49, no fee-simple
property could be sold for any purpose,
even by the owner Of an estate. who
was only, what the acts Of Parliament
termed. a tenant for life. He might
embarrass it to any amount, and he
might mortgage it 10 double its actual
value. which was frequently the case.
but sell it he could not. II the inter
est on the loans or mortgages were not
paid, the creditors might place the
property under charge Of the Court OF
Chancery, which appointed receivers,
who collected the rents and applied
them to the paying Of the debts. At
the death Of the owner Of fee-simple
estate. no matter how great the in
cumbrances might then be, the prop
erty passed to the next heir. free Of all
claims. Affairs Of this kind we're oi
daily occurrence In Ireland for many
centuries. and great hardship. suffer
ing and loss were consequently entail
ed upon the creditors Of the gehh >
and aristocracy. After the CONNER
cial failure Of l847, and in the face oI
those ravages which famine had made
amongst the peasanty. land became
almos valuless, and whole districts oi
the richest portions of the country
we're neither titled nor occupied. The
former tenants had either died OF fam.
inc. were supported in poor-houses. OF
had sought shelter and employmentir in
this country. In many OF the more
distressed counties the Poor Law taxa
tion exceeded the previous rental
Matters could not be worse. Land
lords were unable to extricatc them
selves from the difficulties BY which
they were surrounded. The land o
the country was being rapidly confs
Gated TO support numerous horde ol
paupers. for whom the land owners
were unable to provide ordinary em
ployment, and. so the time had arrive,
when legislation was forced to step il
and arrest the approaching ruin Of al
classes in the community. The law
of primogeniture were so interviewer
with the oligarchical institutions o
England, that any attempt at their di
rect repeal should necessarily bccom'
a failure, and, in this critical conjunc
ture Of affairs. Parliament. sustaine,
by the great voice Of the people. an
supported by the moneyed and mer
camille classes, passed the Irish In
numbered Estates Act. thus. at on
bold stride. dassing the sacred thresh
hold Of landed property. and bringin
il for sale into the market, like an
other commodity. An Incumberc'
Estates Court way constituted. Con
missioners were appointed to receiy
petitions from creditors, hear counss
for and against. and. if necessary
dispose Of the property and make
over to the purchaser. by virtue Of
short deed-so short that it could b
slowed away in the wastcoat pocke
This hrief but in.cliisible documer
conveyed Parliamentary title .
good and valid as any royal paten
bearing the great seal and sign manu-
al Of the sovereign. BY the opera
lions Of this act. incumbered 'propcrt
has been put up 81 sale forpublic con
, petition. locked up capital sent int
/. circulation. labor employed, and e.
tates. hitherto Improbable and part
ally cultivated, developed and imPro'
ed to their utmost capacity. King 10
has been dethroned, aud King stoi
placed in harness and made to wor
> for the benefit Of the common veal.
The number Of petitions presents
d by creditors--and sometimes by Il
owners of estates themselves, III