, 1880-01-21
IRELAND.
The Distress Among the People Of the
Emerald Isle.
That Distress Causcd by the Present
System of Land Tenure.
How the PEASANTS Arc Reduced to tho
Condition Of Serfa.

Condition Of Serfs.
Spettat Cosrtspondknes cf The CnteaTn 7rtcurs.
L0XDon, Jan. AL Ind mn opportunity, tho
other evening, tn converse with a apcGinl COM
missioner lately aamt u ireland 10 rcTort upon
tho prevailing dIstrnas. His observations on tho
Isllcuttcs that at present heset tho Irish people
woro extremely interesting, and think 1nany
rarts Of the interview will bo uf interost 10 your
readers.
"1mny say broadly, to start with" were bis
flrst words to the, " that, from what I saw and
heard during my so1ourn in Ireland. atn In
cflnc1 to
stpE MORE STRONGLY WITH THE IRrEH pE0rLE
III thOlr prcAoat difficulties than most EnEliAh-
men arc. We at home have aittlo idea nf tho
misery and tlesttutlon that pruvAil In the Mestcr
dstrlots. The lnnd.Uppresson thoro Ia most
gr1cvous and unjust, and 1t Is not II bo wondered
ut TINT the ngltuuon for tho establish
1ncnt Of pcnsnnt- t-proprictorship conitnucs
80 vigorously, Originally land-mcctlngs wcrO
only held 10 instuco tho landlords
tn rctlncc currcnt rents: but, rs datrcss pnchctl
marc kecnLy, and landlords seemed unwilling to
mike fair concessions, tho ecupo Of tho Ltaglio-
meetings EXTENDED, md now tho great majority
Of the ocoupIcrs und tillcrs Of tho soil In .hosc
counties In which tho movement is 80 strong,
will listen to nothing short Of tho adoption Uf n
reasant- proprietary system not tlissiInnr to
thnt Of Franco. The action OF tho present aYs-
tenn of lnnd-tenure In ireland Is such Tint tho
tlerE Of tho soil hnyu security whhtuvcr TINT
thcy will 10 allowed to cnjny tho produce Of
tholr ow1, labor. According 10 the law now cx-
issIngt lnntlorti mny turn n,tt tho man who by
successive improvements hna pcrhnps dnublc'l
tho value Of tho farm he occupies, without cot,-
punsatihg him In any way, A farmer. no matter
how industrious and thrifty, aud how we'll situ-
ntesl lie IS to-day, may find htnsolf Tomorrow
with no roof to shelter him. and uo menns viii,
which TO support himself aud his family. This
condition has
REDUCED TIE CELTIC TENANTS TO sEAFs.
II will tell yau a single instM1ce thut on,no he
ncnth MY notice, which strikingly excinpkit.cs
tho prevalent iden In rcEart to tho tplNtion Of
lundortl aud te,,unt. a new landlord hnd como
In possession nf Il aninll property which WINS
extcnt. lie toll mo TINT, wtun ho first wont 70
tnkg possession. his tciluuts nccostgl him win
nlt tho ab]eGt humility Of s!nVes. 70 tho,n ~
was master q thelr lives aitd property, md
u III ali thoy - possesstt. s one nf lilo tIrss things
Win sif!s. L!ks fhs 5 psss.is of oi4, hey sogt
ssfstb ss Il ber e" anss esss q thoy y @
eeran M a1 aS Rns' " %'a eaoy AaS q shon
thoy Thought, and In thClr etfnpfctMtlHlctlnGsA
powers that were To htH credit tho lHndsuri re-
fuseti these Offerings. Tho tenants cnuli not
Mners.and T. They Interpreted TIC rs rgfsnl Is
Of thor1,
Tho farm tnborcrs occupied o-roomet cAb1nf,
which wpru In ruIrOuB condition. anil the s!nn
farmers lived, with tlioir arge families, In two.
%es esn' 4a. Tash 5 sss Il TssS CT n' rSa f sa
tenants arc rnw mitch more comfortable thRn
Sas say @ Tie a ~
lord. whose only thnuEiit 4 to mako tho utmost
sdiatq t r.. o.t Of hts !nr ,,r,rors
ss$s sPa'sa S!s T. e. %Sxsd $Ss
ope2s 9s9%i ei inss iss as ias ,s
upwards Of l60,otD families. numbering sour
s6uls, Inhabited sto1,e Or n,ul-bnllt one.roN.s,tsl
"Ibo III o irsil iarm.atofer m is bond: slave lie
enrs M m IN ny'Sr @ hts t seHgn f,''s ni,'s
und the lHrHc fM,llly TINT Is usually tic ph!pahlt,
ren!|zoson Of Ills ,'ntri,nnnlnl nlliaitco, Owing
cialMg tho t,st oxactllg caru flln'Ec to frtiia!
himself md his family with a llare oxlstcncc. II
os ss ns Is So p Thasp @ t If It s s' s hs
VT haya td you tl.at thorc is no limit to which
tho lnni!ord
CANNOT GO IN GRINDING Hts rENAsTnY.
seems to mo s,ciont to b..Is, forr!cr cosliet,t-
nent md rr,,spcr'.y from country Se,!eatl!
hSs ssSe ssSf4 sa It Io p.a;so syso" It IL ana
Sr h%t There Is 70 s9I'y ,S tc,n t 4
Tint Is tho rslng Of rents IN prnpnrtinn Il, tho
improvements Ae effects. CAu ilnyshnY Ip nlnry
osspo Il c a S1 II waSr %het ths t e4S & f I'll
improve his condition. .tlut, tho hnrlor tc tries
stiiio himS u wns atnrelicd hy what inv nr ths.
On ono cs.ae that visited found TINT rentals
a secn s " ' ,n +" ys @ 5 Se
tho means of thua Improving tiesr lands. what
has been iono has been auhievcd by tho Bovcrc
soil, niic estate where men wnre occiirylng
holdings entirely rcclnlncd by tho !n!,ar q thu
tca.s wiofn iset s1nts a ln.t hee , sriMy n ~
cultivation re!l III cnscs such as this IN cvcry
hnror pickup. Oncc wn,il.i not hulicru tllono
i,vss. Tlioro Is m stancs ID tho point recently
reported. In which q prupcrty numbering lNl
tenants Inns been II, ,tt1clcd hy tlss ncA!ts tlat
now there nre hut two uf the tonants who ca,'
s liow il il possible That under such n eyalcn,
e eoty ~ we PEs"G ES ssat tho elest 81 to
IN which the tcnant lives ts to prevent lsH doing
hulf ot whnt 10 could Ito in tho why Of nproyo;
industry aro fottcrs; tho land tloes not prncc
hRlf, or oven 1llnrter, 0f Whht II IN cnpnbu nf
Producing; hntl the pcurlc hrb III Il condition or
M,sEltAnLE DEGRADATION AND uEsr0NpsNcY,' ii
| "li,lt," qucrletl, "wOuld Int tho adoption nj
| q Eystom of nunsant-proprlotnlzhlp f1r which
,o ifiin Iii R ow sS" oxsts Ii whu i w.r e. q
ocnur, ws,uId plunge tho peopIo still doopor Into
Nn!serv?"
Vi do not think no, It Is hardly posHlhlu that
landowners would divide hofr j,ltrrty hrstw
the limit ri economic utility. lthtnk II plliic
would hcfUlu long incrGnse. lrclnll uf,ttcr s,ls
n xystem w0uh tu nblN 10 lnnnni,l greatly III.
| rrGnscd p1pniutlon. Tho Irish wnnt ii new con.
htian nf lHntl-ten,src, nlnl in,sAt Bay Gnnnpt
much ela'.,o them t"r tllD!r position with rcsar
"ierIIuIs1 y0l1 Will toll INC, tiuM," said J. fn tho
hopes Of furtkorcnen9!ngn my .nfnrntn.tt IN con-
| yof1MtIon, "wlnt tho frsli themselves gntm IN
lie tho p's!t'on they are maintaining in sboir
prnseDt hgItatloh7"
ncrs thSt catnin. s ~ uh ,nt " y ,un want ~
tho Commissioner l'audc'! mn IL STANDARD. Tht