The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-03
SOME NEW hooks.


SOHE NEW BOOKS.
How Docs Ireland stands
The query pressed in the well-known
ballad Of The Wearing Of the Green touch
ing tho plight or progress Of Ireland" and
how does she stand ?"-is somewhat differently
answered by the Natonaists. or irreconcables.
and tho Fedcraists. or friends of Home Rule.
We shall find one view Of the matter set forth in
Ne'n Ireland. by A. NJ. SULLIVAN Peter +. Col
| lierl. Mr.. sullivan. we scarcely need call to
| mind, ie n member Of Parliament for an Irish
county and prominent supporter Of Mr.. Isaac
| Butt. II Is interesting to compare his tenn
| perate and by no means pessimistic opinions
| with those OF a writer who makes no attempt to
| disguise his uncompromisnga luminosity to Eng
| land-Ireidnd as She Is. Has Been. aud ought 10
BE. by JAMES J. CLANCY TT. Kcllyl Moreover.
where identical conclusions are reached from
starting points so divergent. we are disposed to
accept them as Trustworthy and final. Let us
| call both these witnesses TO the stand. and in
qure what Ia the actual condition of the Irish
population in the year 1877 and especially to
what extent has the Legislation of the past quar-
ter OF a century exercised healthful influence
| on the relations of landlord and tenant
| There are. We need not say. two parties in
Ireland. each Of which finds an exponent in the
books before us The Natonasts look TO rcvo-
luton and absolute independence as the only
decisive cure for the existing evils. while the
| Home Rulers see a solution Of all difficulties in
n restoration Of the Irish Parliament. But how
ever they may differ AS To remedies one funda-
mental grievance is recognized by all intelligent
Extraordinarily. that notwithstanding the
cutlery OF half century. and such palliations as
the Encountered Estates act and the Land act
carried through by Mr.. Gladstone. the vast bulk
Of the Irish people are still tenants at win Ac-
| cording to a statement made by John Bright in
| 1875 six thousand persons own the whole land
| Of ireland. II was shown by the last census
that Ave and quarter millions OF human be-
ines own not rood 81 ground. To what ex-
tent are these millions entitled to reimburse
ment for improvements made on the property
| Of their landlords The effect OF Mr.. Glad
stones famous measure is to make n slight
compensation recoverable at law by the dspos-
sessed tenant. II your farm is worth extremely
little you may after eviction sue for seven years
rent. But II 1t happened to be moderately
remunerative. you may only sue for from six
months to one years rent. the higher valua-
ton carrying the relatively smaller recompense
for disturbance. The obvious result Of such
legislation would he a desire TO consolidate
holdings. and gradual wedding out Of small
farmers In practice. moreover. the poor
tenant has not turned TO much account his rem
edy at law against a wealthy landlord. 4 Par
liamcntary return published at the close Of
1878 demonstrated that OF every hundred suits
brought under the Gladstone act for compcnsa-
ton. seventy had gone against the plaintiff.
One Of the measures advocated by Mr. Butt
aud his following pending the progress OF the
movement toward Home Rule for Ireland is the
extension to the whole country Of the so-called
Ulster custom. What is this right or custom TO
which Ulster is confessedly indebted for the ex-
certonal pros perity Of its agricultural popula-
ton? This system seems to have grown out Of
the spirit rather than the letter of the charters
and grants under which Ulster was planted
In the reign 81 James |. Substantially. 1t estab
lished right Of continuous occupancy 10y tn
tenant nj fair REMIT being understood th9
the rent was not 10 be- raised by reason
any value added 10 the soil through the tenant
industry or outlay Under such circumstanc
the right Of occupancy in many cases would J
come more valuable than the ownership II I \
fee. This tenant right would. of course. q
bought and sold like other property. the nco r
ing always paving the outgoing occupant Z
the lattcr's interest in the farm. Moreover i
every case Of eviction for non payment of r. Al
the landlord was bound TO make over to t.
tenant any balance remaining out Of tho 10
ketable value of his right after deducting IN
amount due With such a system it ia not rii
prising that the province OF Ulster should lui,
bloomed like a garden and become the hon NJ
thrift and plenty. even before the energy Of. III
people. applied to manufacturing indus u lie
had opened new paths TO wealth.
How does it happen that state Of thir us
equitable and so fruitful exists in only sing
province? II is natural that tho qu ntio
should provoke on the part Of Catholic Irisl
men an outburst OF vindctive indigr .ltiol
Nor can the answer be pleasant for fair-n ndc
Englishmen To tell or hear. Tho tena Il is
Ulster were encouraged by liberal egi' Il itiol
because there landlords got their estates ON II
express condition of planting that is.
roofing. n Protestant population in thS sol
whereas elsewhere the policy for centul : es WI
to unplant TO uproot to clear away. tn popis
natives. Even where in course Of time the ul
roofing became too dangerous or too .odiou
the fundamental axiom remained tn o. a Il,
manist farmer had no right Of occupa cy WI
mere tenant by sufferance. not legally rcgarC
ed as possessing a shillings intere in h
own outlay. II by drainage he ira q sforme
bog land, worth two shiings an acre. into cor
land. worth rs many pounds, the Ian cllord WI
entitled TO consider that improvement : his. an
make tho tenant pay him forty shi Kings p,
acre for that land There can be no hubt. sa,
Mr.. sullivan. speaking from his awn exp,
rience. that the traditional wretc hedness
Irish peasant homes their grieyol {, disregal
OF comfort. neatness. and cleanlin sss was d
rived entirely from the fact that m iornton
any direction meant rise in re- rt. "Dcgo
sir" they used TO say. " il we IN a Ike tho pa,
, so nate, the agint will say we r. ablc to pi
more rint" And so he did. Now il is the al
of Mr.. Butt, MS we have said to extend to Il
whole OF Ireland, by positive enactment.
modification ofthe Ulster custom hut alhoul
ably short of the full right est shshed in Il
Protestant province. yet. VIII IN It was la
pressed to a vote. it was reIecte, by 32S to ST.
Babv Marion In a asrch.
E.au m, ~,