The New York herald., 1870-01-03

They cannot build or plant or make enclosures;
II properly they have nothing 10 stimulate them 70
active industry no long ~ the threat of arbitrary
eviction Is hanging over tneir heads; make, them
II 6siisve, from ''i wass have heard In different
Industrious class, persevenng and enterprisng, and
that, under better circumstances they would be the
happiest and most prosperous peasanry In any
country In the world. Give them what they have
90 long asked for what they have 30 long expected,
security OF tenure and In . few years the whole
condition OF Ireland will be completely changed. IL
ia great mistake to suppose that the arbitrary
powers OF the landlord are not frequently enforced
Unfortunately It IL but TOO true that arbitrary evc
tOns have been carried In Ireland to an extent in-
nnitely greater than 10 any other country with wnch
j am acquainted. Itwiil doubtless startle some OF
Ireland more than So 600 families were evicted from
their homes In l849. Supposing that each family
consisted OF nve members tine calculation u Scrs
million OF poor but honest people deprived Of their
homes during the short SPACE OF twelve months.
0fand tenure IN Ireland, owe their origin 70 variety
OF incidental circumstances The primary cause 10
no doubt 10 be found In those dinerences which
have come down to our own time from the days OF
the great c0nflscauOns. A wall OF separation has
long divided the owners aud the occupiers OF the
s0il. They differ almost IN everything. w0nld be
difficult indeed to hnd two classes 10 utterly op-
posed 70 each other. Their religions are different,
are difierent indeed. might Almost say they not
belong 70 the same country. These differences
thereiore-thoir religious aud political diierences
especlaliy-have contributed In no small degree 70
the insecurity OF the tenant. Another circumstance
which materially affected the tenure OF the occuper
was the introduction OF the Poor laws INTO Ireland.
with the imposition OF one half the rate upon the
owners OF the SOIL. rh0 landlords became as mat
ter OF course, terrified at the number OF poor
people upon their property, aud sought only
the best means by wnlcn they could dis
pose Of their burden. Then the famine years
came, and with them began those ''ciearances' OF
irish estates which Tor quarter Of a century have
marked the social history OF the country. Thou
sands and tens OF thousands u the people were
driven annually from their homes The process OIL
extermiDais0n reached its CLIMAX 10 le49 when as
have already shown less than CO. 0C0 families, or
. quarter Of million OF persons were dispossessed
oi the soil. In 1851 the population Of the country
less by 1000 900 than u was ten years before.
During the same ten years 270,OOo homesteads were
Tne result Or iii these CIRCUMSTANCES and OF others
have omitted 70 Introduce is that only ~ 600 OF the
expiring year after year and soon, very soon, Inc
peasantry OF Ireland Will be completely al the mercy
Of few thousand landed proprletora. Inere Is,
however q system Of land tenure In The north or
Ireland NOW, believe. cOnfined TO few counties
IN Ulsterl when differs from MI other sys-
in Ulster, even without lease nas according TO the
immemorial custom OF the province, right to mis-
farm as long ~ he pays ms rent he has also the ad
will TO the incoming tenant IN case he wishes TO
give up the land He has therefore, three peculiar
n; esed y o.
lord 10 restrained by force Of custom from raising
the rents; secondly 80 long as the tenant pays ms
stipulated rent he cannot 0e disturDed and, thirdly
wen he wishes to quit the land he has the privilege
OF selling hls good wilL He can sell ms good Will
In the same way rs = landlord can sell his estate;
and highly valued Is this good w or the interest
OF the tenant In the land, That It not unfrequentiy
brings as high price ~ the land Itself In me other
usually paid for the good win OF farm; that IA
something less than one-balf Of the landlords M
forest.
II tenant In the sooth leases hts farm ne
gets nothing except what his landlord chooses TO
give HIM, and that Is very frequently nothing;
80 get the price OF his passage 70 America. He mas
no more interest IN tho land than the servant be
hires 70 Till IT, the landlord can raise his rent when-
ever he peases, and he can disp0ssess him after
serving upon him six months notice to quit. But
legally, landlord In Ulster has precisely the same
tenants raise tner rents and prevent thcm from
selling the good will OF their land. They have no
legal claims TO their privileges. Their rights such
a. they are, are prescriptions and nothing more.
These rights have their origin Ia o CUSTOM which
oates back to the period Of the plantation Of Ulster
under James the First. The cO.onsts among whom
the confscatcd lands were parcelied out, had much
to do protect themselves against the Old inhabi
tants ''They were an English colony" said Lord
Chancellor Clare 'ln an enemy's country, which
had been reduced by the sword 70 q sulien and re.
fractory aIegiancen In order therefore to fortify
themselves against the dlsc0ntented people, the
coonists conceded to their tenants and dependents
every privilege likely to strengthen tneir position
IN the country. These privileges nave never
known as the Tenant Right Of Ulster,
and at this day they have well nigh the
force OF law. In some Instances the custom mas nc
doubt been Violated but the instances are few. The
landlord restrained IN the exercise OF his powers
by the orce Of pubc opinion, ~ well az by whole
some dread Of provoking outrage. Agrarian out
RACES in Ulster are comparatively speaking, few
but the Devon Commissioners DID not hesitate 70
Say that any attempt on the pant or the landlord 10
invade the rights OF the tenant would make Down
o second T1pperaEy."
Thls statement is perfectly true for when any
landlord whether through avarice or any other mo-
tive has nterfered with this provincial custom out
RACES Of o shocking character have invariably been
the consequence. PrecarlOus az this tenure Is II has
made Ulster the most nOurishlng province and the
people OF the north the happiest anu most contenfed
In Ireland. This fact which admits OF no dispute.
The plans OF Munster OF Leinser OF Connaugnt are
no less fertile than those OF uster nor are the men o
the south less active less INDUSTRIOUS less intelligent
tnan those Of the north. The latter are prosperous
and happy, the former are poor and disc0ntented
The contrast mag, perhaps, help English statesmen
TO the conclusion that, when Ulster tenant Right Il
legallzed throughout ireland Munster, Lenstcr and
COnnaught will be as nonrishing and az prosperous
a. The province IN the north.