The New York herald., 1869-09-11
IRELAND.


The Land Qucs,ion-saeiect for the Next
Great Parliamentary Asitation-The Laws
Of Entail and OF Tenancy-Ahseutee Proc
prietors aud Local Agents.
DUBLIN, August 81 1860.
The one topic OF public importance here continues
to be the land question: anxiety to probe its misty
depths being confined to this side OF the channel
alone, but 1t seems a perfect sugar plum to The
English press in this "out Of town season.u The
London Times has sent over a special commissioner
who is using all his lerreting powers among the
people OF Iipperary 10 try and come at the marrow
Of the question. No doubt his communications Will
find their way TO some OF your readers whom ] wish
10 warn against adopting the opinions and conc u.
sions he dOgmatically lays down. for the simple
reason that tney are mostly fallaclous. II is per.
1ectly Impossible for any commissioner or special,
matter how brilliant be his powers OF perception,
10 come over here for few weeks and do else than
pretend TO obtain such knowledge. In this way
English journals always err IN treating OF Irish
affairs they write from asuperlcia and often posi-.
lively untrue knowledge, and great amusement is
caused here at times by grave and reverend
seignors" who undertake TO instruct bat display
she grossest ignorance.
The more the question is examined the more appa-
rent becomes the necessity for caution arriving at
conclusions. A satisfactory settlement that is sat
will be task OF greater dflculty than was the
Church disendowment scheme. ] have been for a
considerable time collecting reliable on this sub.
Ject to present to the readers of the New YORK
HERALD, and with your PERMISSION viii do 30 as
fully az possible in short series Of le,,ers of which
this shall be the first
One Of my first impressions on the subject is that
that among the contributory causes Of the land
niflculty is the decay and in many cases total ab-
eence Of any sympathy or good feeling which
should unite landowners and tine persons TO whom
they commit their property, which In agricultural
community should bind both together for the com.
mon veal. century ago this existed largely in
Ireland. The lord Of the SOIL resided among his
tepantry, occupying the position of the head OF
family than the awe-inspiring rent gatherer OF
more recent days. The advent Of bad seasons was
understood by this resident proprietor. 1t gave him
An opportunity for the display OF kindly
tude OF the IRISH peasant returned him a
rich reward In days OF greater prosperity.
@ ghis sympathetlo bond has nearly passed away.
The peasantry and middle class tenants are not
changed, but the race Of Irish landlords has changed
most materially. In the days allude TO every men,
ber Of the landlords family was special object OF
affection To the tenantry the estate he was con.
stanty among them 80 assist and advise. How
changed 1t Is nowl The landowners OF ireland at
present number $500, with constituency Of 600 COO
tenant farmers. or the former two-tnirds are per-
beng absentee landlords, whose business IL con.
Quoted by agents, paid IN great part by commits.
sion or percentage on the highest rent roll they can
squeeze OUT, and the remainder OF this proportion
being estates held by public companies who have
bought Up the properties from time 10 time whose
psS so for S e sneeTS ency 0T as large ar, sGn
there may appear certain amount OF fairness IN
oMneis m9king the most OF iheir property; TO this
principle the Irish tenants as fully alive as any
similar oodY IN the world and az ready 70 meet It.
IN no instance does the history OF the recent agra.
ria outrages snow that the tenantry on any estate
resist Iair and legitimate demands for advance OF
rent. 49, NS VI
During The past half century the prlces of mos,
articles Of produce have advanced. farmers proats
are now In many cases doubled and glthouo6 Inv
Ieason & q, scarcy OF labor the rate Of wages to be
ments and facilities of machinery preventing tnis
pressing on MS returns, IN case as vet come Ia
light mas tenant refused to share largely IN resi
of this prosperity with his landlord 6y pay1ng in
crease OF rent, am aware OF numerous Ins5snres
where leases have expired during the past few
years and new contracts have been entered into az
more than double the former rate OF rent: Int mo
other side OF the picture Is that tue great BULK OF rsn
rent roll money Is transmitted away in gobo az
soon as possible after each rent day: lie tenant is
not benented nor the country enr iched 10y increased
value OF its production. In tlls case the absent
landowner takes no thought whatever az TO The ne.
cessity OF spending portion OF tie Income In In
proving or repairing the arms--an ythng necessary
must be done at the expense OF the tenant whose
expenditure In this way often m terlally increa se
me reproductive power Of the holding, While he has
me satisfaction Of rejecting that at the nrs'
opportunity tie squeezing agent will demand q
inIther exorbiiant Increase or rent. II he be no.
~. " NIch VI the Cd5t-luilkllll Va
m.s uhsophisticated phi hi'osophy. that he himself
snoua ENJOY the result Of his own labor aud money
1uAuehueu-some stranger, perhaps Keen John
pun Or matter OF TACT Scot, ia soon found ready 10
@ @gon't e,e aln mere we arrive ct the rebellion point.
y,n ~. ,anuVWner !; away his agent ~ mere ma.
chnc Wuo sees MS own income proved by securing
ole hixhest bidder he cares IN the slightest de-
gree W near tnat lOur generations OF the game
Ihny nafs put thelr aDor into the farm. he In the
representative o matter OF fact system OF demand
and supply. Pat ls indignant and impulsiye An
0atn OF vengeance recorded, and unless the good
connsels OF MS priest or minister prevail before nm
0ppo tunIty arises mischief in some Shane or form
follows. ~
This Is O sketch OF one contrlbuory streamIet ia
tbe great iycr OF discomfort which runs acrossl ,b0