, 1880-01-18
ATALE OF TWO ISLANDS,:
Guernsey and 1reland-Freeholds
and Tenant Life. =.
prosnerlty and Contentment vs.. Chronic
Poverty and Eternal Misery. ::

pr1rAsr, Dec. 80, 1879.-Tb the Editor OF
- london Tlmes-Sm: Considerations
s;e;nr ~ from a recent visit to the British
Channel Islands induce me to offer some re
saarts m the subject OF the chronic misery
# Ireland. As nature has made Guernsey a
u,nIature Of that country, the contrast which
socially they present Is heightened by this
ssspmblapce. To both the Green Isle Is an
EQUALLY appropriate term. The cliffs o1
Isrho,,rg. Ica1t, and Pleinmont repeat on a
srne11er scale the features Of Moher, Kikee
snd ,,,.1 sieve League. The fern and moss
rhIrh grows in either isle with like 1nxuri-
ance attest an equally humid climate, and a
-acord of Guernsey weather reads like q
..racord Of Irish weather at corresponding sea-
ems. In both, bright blue sky, even In
n,;dsnmmer, is rnre sight, and, while In
r;nter rain is frequent, frost and snow are
oniy occasional visitors. But, II striktngly
si;te IN natural features, from social point
~ view Guernsey and ireland are utterly dis.
e,n,ilar. Here is wealth, there Is poverty;
hara l. energy, there IS apathy. The beggar
nr uelii Tia herraT's livery is alike unknown in
Guernsey. while in Ireland raggcd-c1ad thou
eands of the population owe TO the poor-rate
~ to the largehearted charity Of their neigh
borS the means o. uale souslstence' II
Guernsey the agricultural laDorer las per r.
~ IA ner week, while the farnl-lab0rer III the
eonth If Ireland often works from molll till
nielt at a weekly wage OF g, or at most IS.
In Guernsey teelnlng human llfe IS SEEM III
combination with Vivlu t%!alGaIl9us % "a So1aaoa'
and prosperity, wle ,iat;n ~ T. "a ana Iess sfpi Sp
R }noiS seeil the undisputable evidence Of want
a9d If a hard struggle to gain the bare neces-
saries Of existence.
- That overpopn!ataon IS nob tue source O
Irish misery. is 1act 1mneqniyocal!y me provea aa
by comparison OF the last census returns OF
Guernsey with those OF liela1la. W Wltn ollly
10000 acres under cultlyation' GUERNSEY sup p
ports in comfort popniatlon OF upWalas oI
SOQ0; while lre!al1d, Will cu1lsaoie area
Of 15,5O00N acres, has q poyerdyostriGken aa ~
population sonewhaI n1lt1el o,oovH,oo. Nete
ireland as densely peogled rs GaernSey aao nnS u
would support poQu!atlon VI 4o,oV,uout u
these circumstanceS It IS reasonaple 60 oe,
lleye that widely differing conalllons ol lana
tenure may underlle. the strlklng soclai dls-
similarity Of these two !slaflds, ana, as one
feature Of this system OF !all tenure seems
to me capable OF adoption III reiano, IL may
matter.
In contradistincttion to Engllsh law,
Guernsey law eminently fayors the ttltuslon
Of property in land among the working class
Of the community, by. comforting on the
buyer OF bit Of land the full rights OF a
proprietor on the payment OF one,f0urth OF
lie purchase money, the remainder OF the
sum being discharged through fixed annual
payments termed rentes. Should these
ientes not be punctually paid, the seller
resumes the land and retains the money paid.
These rentes are registered, and when not
redeemed constitute, on, resale, tlrst charge
on the land. Under this system thrifty
ma rpG01lE
bit Of land, and the redemption Of the annual
reltes is an object that stimulates MS IN
;dustry: Owing to the lazy Of inheritance,
through which land IS divided IN certain
proportions amid family on the father's
death, land Is ever III the market, ana that IN
quantities suited to small means.
Uuder this system Of land~tennre almost
avprx family in the little tSlAuu OF Guernsey