The Portland daily press., 1869-11-23

In this country with our abundant and
cheap lands and free homesteads. we are stran-
gers to the system of monopoly and oppression
which prevails III some of the countries of the
old world. When we look at the curse of the
land monopoly in Ireland, we need not won
der that Fenianism fOurishes, or that so many
of Ireland's sons and daughters seek a home
on our hospitatle shores. We give a. few facts
on this subject gathered from the New York
Tribune. There are about 100000 acres of
land In Ireland the ownership of which is di-
Weed among 8, $50 men out of population of
about str millions. These millions are mainly
tenants at will to the thousands of landlords
who own the soil and who, to crafty their ra-
pacity, their political animosities, or their ca
prices, can, and often do turn out their help.
less tenants, houseless and homeless to starve
or to take refuge in exile. To make the work
raore efectuaI the tenants house is often pull
ed down over his head. The number of indi-
yidual occuplers turned out between 1889 and
1S43 was stated by Mr.. Bernal Osborne, as
7O,9S2.. live reckon five persons to family,
S54,9l0 persons were thus rendered homeless.
Tenants dare not improve theirlands; for the
Improvements will only serve as an excuse 10
the landlord for fresh exactions, and will rare
IL benefit the improyer. A more damnable
system OF outrage and wholesale robbery can
scarcely be imagined. Properly cultivated
Ireland is capable OF sustaining population
OF fifteen or twenty millions But under this
system the population OF s.174OOO in 1s41, had
been reduced IN 1851 to 100000. What shall
We think OF pnlicy which in twenty years
drives out of country 2,4oO,OOO more people
than are born into it,
By what title DO these thousands of land
lords monopolize the ownership of Ireland?
It'll simply robbery, nothing more nor les 8.
The title to real property is derived from oc-
cnpancy. But as the amount of land to be
Occupied is limited, so each individuals share
In it must have limit. Land is admitted by
puohc SIS to be the common property of man
Kind until appropriated and it is evident that
no Individual has right to appropriate more
than his just share. Those who are detraud-
ed by the grasping propensities of any man or
set Of men may combine against their op-
pressors. 1t will, however, rarely be wise to
r,d"ce this abstract light to practice. In or
binary cases it would create more abuses than
1t would cure. But wrongs so aggravated as
those of Ireland, would justify very radical
measures. The case is still stronger when we
consider that the Irish landlords are not the
nrst occupants, but merely horde of titled
panditti sent over by the cosmopolitan robber.
England, to drive from their possessions the
original owners. Large numbers of the ag
gressors are absentees who feel no interest in
the welfare of ireland, and who, instead of
enrchlng the soil by proper returns, continu-
ally impoverish it by spending the revenue it
yields in the vices and follies of the English
metropolis or of the cities of continental Eu-
rope. These wrongs cry aloud for redress,
and at length the conscience of the English
natlon is getting aroused to the enormitv of
we wrongs perpetrated upon the Irish peo-
pc. - is probable that ere long the liberal
aturo measure. 60, ~eO~.ius at
80 tS =, tenure, and perhaps ulti-
Dia'e'' 'n' o"heiSnip VI the soil b ten
ant.
This done Ireland may enter t-aon , ro,v
Career OF prosperity, and her people witt. tto;r
Patrlotlc attachment to their native land WI,
prefer to stay at home. Though not an IN
. n'lxed benefit, they have accomplished much
toward developing the resources of this conn
try, while in turn they have shared the bless
mgs OF our freedom and culture. Our con-
Tract with them has thus been mutual hello.
and while we may not wish it to cease. we
can out hope they will no longer be driven to
Us oy necessity, but may come if they come at
ell of their own Tree choice.