, 1880-12-22

w hob IL AN
island at this moment9 I spoke Of it 40
in a state Of social insurrection when I
was here, I think, some time last winter.
At this moment it is exhibiting in q por'
ton of the country o social revolt OF Q very
strange and extraordinary character. It
is not apparently so much q rising against
the Government as against the owners
of the soil. There 10 through some
counties-in some districts-a generals
at least, o considerable, reputation of
contracts. There is practically . seizing
Of the land, from which they believe shat
their fathers were driven out by combina-
ton, by terror, by outrage. occasionally,
but hitherto in very few instances by
murder. They are demanding the over.
throw of the system under which they
assert that there is no adequate reward for
their industry, and no security for the
homes of their families. Now, when o
nation or q considerable portion OF q nation
or the population Of several counties, can
fairly OF do generally make q statement OF
this kind, it appears to mo 10 be one OF
those which demand, the earnest conssdera-
ton and attention of statesmen and OF
legislators (hear, hear; and not OF states
men and Of legislators only, but OF the
whole people of the country, who are
allied with them for we have all Q great
interest in the welfare OF Ireland, aud the
man who insults Ireland or Injuries 10, who
tramples upon it, who denies lrlshmen
their lust rights, is an enemy of England az
much as an enemy of Ireland. CHEERS WHAT
i, this system against which SO many OF
the Irish people are Just now ~contendlng,
and are even in a certain sense IN open
revolt 1t comes down from the
system OF great proprietors established oy
the monarchs and statesmen OF two centu'
ries ago (hear. hear) great proprletoFs
with great estates, and with estates
mspy of them mortgaged aud embarrassed
transmitted from generation to generation.
under the command ouly, to o large extene
of nominal and life owners, often OF
men who were absentees, who pro.
baby had never walked or driven over
thss whole of their estates. The rights
of %propertv, so tar as the collection OF
rant ia concerned, have been .strenu.
ously maintained and insisted upon, ana
the duties OF property 10 . vast number O,
cases have been, for the most part, greatly
neglected. Hear hear) Nov. how has o..
this been causedS We must be quite seny
sible that when these great properties had
been given to these great proprietors, the
great properties would not have re.
NAMED great 10 one hand unto tn's
dav if there had been free transac'
tions with regard to land, as there is with
regard to ell the vast wealth which
there is in the houses and shops and ware
houses and factories of birmingham.
(Cheers.) No but there was . system OF
law and of custom, and custom created oy
law and based upon it. by which these great
estates were handed down from father 90
eldest son, and from eldest son, when he
became q father. to his eldest son. There
were systems Of entail and settlement ~
which q man was only . life owner Of chs
property. He was not able to sell It, ~
had not himself to improve It. he Tscsis.
ed the rent from it and the most thae ne
could get out Of it, bnt he had no general
interest to exert himself on behalf Of The
property or Of those who lived upon i.
and he spent generally almost nothing q
his income 10 the ~endeayour "a improve
the property Of which hs va 'lths nominal
owner and lord. Then, besides this. there
has been always in this country Il taf =
any Of 10 can remember, and 1neta longer
time, costlinsss. and difficulty ct lzeneless
being great obstacles in the yay q tne
division and tho desperation Of enee9 Pr