The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-01-13
TllE nl.sn LAND LEAGUE.


The citizens Of Ireland are having Sc
rious troubles, growing out OF The relation
between landlord and tenant. The real
estate Of Ireland consists of about twenty
million acres, Of which about sixteen
million are in cultivation, or used for the
purposes of residence or pasture. The
population Of the island is little over
five million, thus giving an average of
less than three and quarter acres Of
cultlvatable land to each inhabitant
Th" ownership, however, is not by any
means generally distributed, but Of the
whole number of inhabitants probably
not more than fifty thousand out of the
live millions own foot of land. The
whole real estate Of the island is owned
by about sixty eight thousand persons, a
very large proportion perhaps twenty
thousand-of whom are not residents of
Ireland ut all, and manage their estates
by agents. OF the sixty.cight thousand
landowners, more than half of them do
not own more than one. quarter of an
acre, 80 that by far the greater portion of
the land is owned by foreign landlords,
who use their property in the most arbi.
trary and oppressive manner. This state
OF things has existed in The Emerald
Isle for very many years, and has frc.
quently given rise to very great disturb
ances. The government Of Great Britain
supports the landlords, and they are
always tyrannical in the extreme in
consequence of the security they feel in
the protection that is afforded them.
They dismiss their tenants at will, and
annually after the harvest season the
land is filled with officers distraning for
rents, and evictins such tenants ms the
anger or caprice of landlords may direct.
Upon previous occasions The differences
hetwccii the inudiurtis and the tcnantry
have lead TO revolts and blooJshed. fol .
lowed by adjustments which would work
sntisfartc-!!y until the greed of the land.
lords induced fresh complications Some
years ago these differences were harmon.
lied by the adoption of equitable rent
rates, fixed by civil engineer named
Griliiths, who was ordered by the gov.
crnment to make an inspection of Ireland
ard report, which he did with such
ability and. success that the rates sup.
gested in the report were accepted by
both classes. These rates have prevailed
Tor near forty years, and as long us ad.
hered to vci; slight complications arose.
OF late years. however, these rents have
been advanced upon an average some
twenty five or thirty per cent. and the
burden has thereby been increased until
it amounts practically 10 M enslavemert
OF tho tcnantry of the island, and has
given rise to the most rcsolute resistance
by the tcnantry. They have formed
organizations known rs "Land Leagues"
which are clubs for tho purpose of unit.
ing the tennntry in opposition to the
advance in rents on the GriGilhs rates
and are proceeding in the most ORDERLY
and prudent manner possible. They
have large meetings from time to time
but commit no cxcesses. Great Britain
has sent companies of flying artillery
into the island, but they find nothing to
do, and it is hoped that the present ses.
sion of Parliament will adopt some meas
urcs of relief for these unhappy people.
The sympathy Of the outside world ia
with Ireland, andtho pressure will ulti.
mately force an equitable adjustments of
the present troubles. Thoir forbearance
and prudence have won for them n very
favorable consideration ut the hands of
impartial people of England, and there
Is every reason to believe that the Land
League will be successful in projecting
the interest Of the tenantry Of Ireland.