The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-04-27
The Encountered Estates Court in Ire
land.


By recent report it appears that the value
of the lands sold in the Irish Encumbe:ed
Estates Court from the commencement,
rather more than twenty years ago, tothe
present is s3s, ,O36, 4O3.
The court was instituted with the view OF
relieving the holders OF entailed estates and
those having no mortgages upon them, and
it may be imagined from the above men
toned sum how largely those interested
availed themselves OF the act Its operation
fell very hardly upon many who were forced
to sell when they were unable in any other
way to settle claims upon their property,
and, in consequence of the excessive de-
preston existing in the country, saw the
lands which had for centuries belonged to
them pass into strangers hands at ridicu-
lousy low prices
There were frantic scenes in those days in
the Encountered Estates Court, which sits
in one of the mansions formerly tenanted by
the Elite Of the Irish aristocracy in Henri
eta street, Dublin. 1t was said that the late
Lord Coughs splendid seat, Loughcooter Cas-
tie, in Galway, brought less than had been
spent thirty years before in the repairs and
decoration of the castle itself.
Although the act had in q considerable
degree the effect Of relieving Ireland OF n
pauper aristocracy, it was by no means at
tended with results so salutary as its.pro-
moters anticipated
1t had been hoped that wealthy English
men and scotchmen would be induced to
purchase largely and put capital into the
country; but this was not done to any very
great extent although there are few nota-
BILE examples of it, such as that of Mr. Allan
Pollok, Scotchman Of large fortune, who
bought vast estates in Galway, which he
farms himself Oh gigantic scale. More
than three-folrths of the land was secured
by Trishmen; good deal by persons who
managed to raise money and bought in their
land when it was put up. Lord Portarling-
ton, who, for example, owned immense
estates, with fabulous encumbrances upon
them, sold off his English property and
bought in q portion of his Irish lands
'Many Of the purchasers, however," says
an Irish poor-law inspector, "were land
'agents, or deputy agents, farmers, shop
''keepers and attorneys" These latter, be
it remembered, have ever Hourished on Irish
soil, and the best house in provincial town
almost invariably belongs to one. ''Many
s.more were speculators The eager desire
'sto become proprietors of land for social
'distinction, profit, &c, induced men to
purchase more than they could pay for,
'tand then they had to borrow. One of this
''class, in my district, borrowed EGO, 600
"from an insurance company. With the
speculative purchasers increase of rents,
..as far as could be borne, was made to pro-
s'ride for interest on cash and loans, and for
'the discharge Of debts incurred. Under
purchasers Of this description, eyictions or
"exorbitant increase of rents ensued."
A notable Illustration Of the squeezing
process to which the tenantry have, in some
cases, been subjected by the new proprie-
tary, is afforded by the case Of the celebra-
ted Martin property, in the wild Atlantic
washed district in Galway, known as Con-
nemara.
The last Mr.. Martin, on succeeding to Bal
linahinch Castle and estates, extending over
some two hundred thousand acres, found the
rroDerty deeply embarrassed. and most as
suredly was not the man to extricaLe it from
difficulty, or his heiress might be enjoying it
now
Having some connections Of influence in
London, he contrived, few years before the
famine, to get a large sum of money ad-
Sanced On the property, with the view of
ehaohng him to make remunerative i'm
provements.
However, when the famine came scarcely
si1pence OF rent could be collected, and |