The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1883-09-15
LANDLORD AND TENANT.
The Feeling i'm Ireland Against the
Owners OF the Soil.

A correspondent of the Philadelphi;
Press writes from Longhrea, County Gal
way, Ireland :-Everywheret the Landlords
say that tenant-occupying proprietary il
utterly ridiculous. If they had the lane
for nothing they could not live on it, il
maintained by many. The theory may
can safely contradict it, as it will never bt
tested. Still, l am 10th to ignore the
fact that in Connemara, which is n large
district of this county,. a very prominent
Land-Leaguer, and now an active work
ing nationalist, who has spent about {
year in the district as a charity officer OF
first the Land League, and latterly the
National League, told me yesterday thai
there was no doubt about it, that the land
of Connemara could not support its popu-
ation.
| asked why the people stayed there il
that was the case. The answer was that
all who could had emigrated, and the
others could not help themselves. Besides
my informant said the question was moi
whether the land would sustain the peo
pie of Connemara, but it was, who drove
them there? Anyhow the principle which
is opprobriously expressed in this way
"Sheep are better paying cattle than the
Irish," is spreading rapidly. Unless a
remedy is soon effected, there will be very
little land for the tenant-proprietary law
that is being discussed to act upon, as it is
not contemplated to force a sale OF any
land not in occupancy by the tenant seek
ing to purchase.
On the route of my walk is "a little
Catholic church about two or three miles
from town, whose history forms lirtle
chapter all by itself in landlordism as
practised in Ireland and maintained by
England. About twenty years ago a
Catholic peasant had a thirty-three year
lease of a few acres. The land belonged
to the Clanricarde estate. He paid ten
shillings ($2.50) per acre forit annually. He
donated one quarter of an acre to the bish-
op at Longhrea for Catholic church. The
little lot was walled off nicely, and very
pretty chapel erected. Seven years ago
the lease ran out. The original lease
holder had died previously, and a new
bishop, the present Rt. Rev. DR.. Duggan
had been installed. The late agent, Mr..
Blake, went to Bishop Duggan and said
that he would have to charge him rent for
the quarter acre of ground, that the chapel
was on.
''All right" said the bishop, sand now
that the original lessee is dead shall want
to get a le.ee of the lot in my own name y
''You know that Lord Clanricarde (that
is the present lordD will give no leases, y
said the agent, who, by-the-by was a
Catholic.
"What rent do you want me to pay ~
"Oh, about fl year.
''The land leased for 10 shillings an
acre, and the church lot is only one
quarter of an acre. A half-crown (26
cents) would be just the rent; but the
chapel has increased the value of the sur
surrounding property, so that Lord Clan
ricardo is making money off the church.
He ought to pay me for that increase in
rental value Of his property pursued the
bishop, laughingly.
Blake was man who never joked. The
only fun he saw in life was evicting ten
ants who opposed his will. So he res
ponded grutfiy to the purple-robed ecclesi-
astic:
"That improvement of land in rental
value in the neighborhood makes Fl little
enough for the quarter acre for church
site. You will have to pay the rent,
bishop.''
"Well, if you will make me out lease
and have it signed, I'll agree to the rack
rent of 800 per cent. on my own improve
ments. But you do not get me the lease
you may tell Lord Clanricar,le that I'll
never pay a cent of rent. Tell him fur
Cher, sir, that if he orders my eviction III
blow up that church with barrel of gun
POWDER
Beneath the purple of the Christian pre-
late ran the bold Celtic blood of man.
Blake is dead now. No lease had been
given, and not one single penny OF rent
has been paid from that day that the bish-
op threatened to blow up the church to
this.
Triple Tragedy i'm HoozierdOm.