The Irish standard., 1896-11-07
'fLBBCluG Hts TENANTS
The Method Employed By Tory
Landlord for Collecting
Rents.
How the Precious New Land Act
4. Works in Every Day
Practice. " 4
Prospects of Increasing Its Ten
ants Burdens Instead of
Reducing Them.

Reducing Them.
Public attention cannot too soon be
drawn to the first notable experience Irish
tenants have had of the working of the new
land act, writes William O'Brien in a re-
cent issue Of Dublin Treeman's Journal.
Some months ago, under the heading, '"The
Penalties Of Dissens.on,'' | described the
pitable case of the "co-tenants of Mas,
in the parish Of Auglagower. These men
were thirteen. Eleven of them prolferad
every penny of rent due on their own por-
tions Of the joint holding; but the remain
ing two being defaulters, ejectnent pro-
ceedinsss were taken against the Who.e thir-
teen,. and a large bill of law costs added
to their liabilities. Abominable as is the
injustice Of plunaering or exterminating
eleven families for their neighbors' debts
ther friends felt Obliged to advise the ten
ants to submit to any terms rather than en-
ter upon struggle with wealthy noble
man while the country was distracted by
diSsension and the trade Of the landgrabber
rampant. When | wrote + was under the
impression that the eleven had duly paid up
the rent and costs Of the two defaulters and
struggled along on the old hopeless round
Of defaults, ejectments and bills of cost
which is their ordinary way Of life under
the eco" system. I subsequently learned
that they had held Out in some vague hope
that the land bill, whose virtues We're
trumpeted aloud by the organs Of Messrs.
Redmond and Heaiy. might offer them
some prospect Of deliverance.
For six months the public indignation
aroused by the exposure Of the infamous
'tco' system deferred the Marquis Of Sligo
from carrying out the evictioIs. The pass
age OF the land act relieved his lordship
from any further scruple. Besides. On the
eve OF the expiration of the judicial leases
by voluntary agreement into which the
tenantry were cajoled after the passing Of
the land act Of 1881, it was necessary to.
strike a blow which would convince the
poor mountain men that the new land act
will not improve their position, ana that
they cannot too soon rush to the rent of
flee to s:gn anew voluntary agreement"
which will bind them fo1. fifteen years to
come on whatever terms the agent may
cundescend to dictate. Accordingly. the
sheriff and a large force Of, police and
emergencymen arrived at Mas last Wei
nesday in the rain; and under the gentle
isuasion of these visitors rifles and revci-
veis, and under threat of instant expulsion
from their cabins and seizure Of their
crops, the "co'-tenants were induced to
sign a voluntary agreement by which
they had not only to pay three haif-yeaI's'
rent for Which they were prccessea, but
n addition the years rent which will only
come due next November-that is to gay,
two and a half years rent in all--together
with the heavy bill OF costs for which,
eleven of the thirteen co-tenants had not
shadow of moral responsibility, and in
consideration OF each Of the co-tenants be-
ing recognized for the future as sep
arate tenant, they actually bound them
selves to enter into Judicial leases for the
next fifteen years at increased rents
Let me add characteristic detail of the
Maehiayellian bargain. The tenants were
refused a separate receipt for their three
years rent for fear Il might set lip the sepa-
rate tenancies Immediately and so enable
the tenants to get the voluntary agree
merit set ASIDE as obtained by dr-
agreement" set aside as obtained by du
ress! These ruthles sterrns seem almost
beyond belief at a moment when even n
the richest districts Of the North the .a.lu
courts are reducing the rentssfor the second
judicial term 20 and 80 per cent, below
these Tor the first; but anything in the
shape OF oppression is still possible in thes,
defenseles sdistriets so long rs there is no
genuine popular organization to protect
them.
The most pathetic thing about the tran-
sactson is the Joy of the Mas men over
1the breaking l!2 Of the CO." The rope
is for the moment cut nearest to the throat.
The relief Of being freed on any terms
from bondage which tortured them every
day OF their lives lis SO intense that they
have no thought for the terrific penalty they
have had to- pay for their emancipation,
orr for the heart,ess advantage that was
taken OF their necessities to bind them
for the next is years to increased rack
rents. All chat they VII realize tomorrow
or next day when they are digging out their
potatoes, two-thirds Of which all around
this district are rotten; and it is more than
likely that before the winter is over NJ.
Balfour Will have to start famine relief
work to give food TO the poor creatures who
have just borrowed their last shilling TO
pay three years rent which is not yet due.
But the point which concerns the general
public most seriously is the practical work
ing of one of those clauses OF the new land!
act in which Mr.. Healy in one Of his most
modest hours bade us admire his handi-
work. The JOINT tenancy section OF clause 4
consists Of three parts; the frs. admits the
co-tenaaey system to '>e iadefensihle, but
the second insists thatthe rents must not be
50 altered as to depfiyethe landlord Of the
lcot he has hitherto enjoyed by Illegally
compelling tenants under 81 valuation TO
pay al! poor rates and al county cess, and
the third provides that there shall be 10
remedy at all. good Or bad, until existing
judicial leases SHALL have expired. And the
net result scE Mr.. Healy'ss legislation, when
it comes to be applied to the Mas co-ten-
ants is that it empowers Lord Sligo to
guard MS seignorial rights Tor $ years to
come II l55
"A Gwen an Irish party free to apply them i
sslye# to the peoples defense, and al organ
izsticn rebuss enough to impress land grab
beir. il would. of cot1-se. nave been ,asa easy
to ssbreak the CO. in Mas as il was found To
bre:1li slhi Gu ghcut ne greater part o. the
Wea insthe days sos d -sseip.. inc and vigor. S BE
s trust that i ne smercs less terms extogt ed
from the men OF NIaas 1a3y even vet 5areuse;
Nao are essed IA e IS fafe:to
Tie Necessity asS some prOtesti We oT
15ctI tItueounterpoas the ami rruFs Dsl
tl,e pdleesan nds sfts Is gact "a.
sls Ii s ,an i
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