The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-30
LAND ACT IN IRELAND.
Signs of Improvement in the Condt.
ton of the Peasantry.

SAshs OF improvement in the COndi-
ton of the Peasantry.
London Telegraph.
Whlle there are many roofless cottages.
and the depopulation Of the central I1or
lions of Ireland is very evident. most Of
those farm houses and cottages which
are tenanted show most evident signs of
improvement. Wherever / go 7 see This
In the bad old times Pat, if he made his
cottage decent, built a pig sty or two.
and dreamed of a cow house-aIl things
which he had to do at his own expense.
Tor the landlord did next to nothing for.
hlm-Was sure TO have the agent com
ing down in the course of quarter or
Two with some such inttmation as: Be
odd! Fat, this is tidy little place you're
getting. The rents too low entirely. so
III just give you notice that it win he
92 more quarter for the future, pat
mad to pay or be evicted; and ne gener-
ally paid, cursing his stars the while
his farm.
IN; Mr.. Gladstones land act changed all
thlS. Ihese poor people were given ten
ant right; that is to say, they could not
De eVlcted so long as they paid their
rent, and that rent is fixed for them
every nfteen years by land commissions
ers, who credit the tenant with all i'm
pfoYemsnts made by him. From the
landlords point of view, the act was in
one word, SpOliation; for the lard wac
practically taken from them and given
10 the tenants, subject to rent charge
one landlord complained to me bitterly
tnat ms ancestors had purchased their
property direct from the government un-
der the encountered estates act, and had
been given an indefeasible title For the
government to take the land away and
substitute a small rent charge seemed to
MIN, and would to many others, a gem
ulne grievance.
If they must take the land" said he.
they should have bought it back from
me,and then conferred 1t on the tenants
Inc property of this gentleman consist
ed of many square miles-a small princj-
pality, in fact-but his income was no
more than that of a Well-to-do English
farmer. Not a few Irish landlords
found. were reduced to taking in paying
guests, but We're mostly too proud to adj.
houses in most cases gives the advan-
tage of shooting, and sometimes of fish
ing and hunting, L have no doubt that
many English people could pass an in
definitely more delightful time with
these sufferers by the Land act than in
continental hotels or English furnished
apartments.
My friend, should mention. must have
been a most excellent landlord, for he
was no absentee, and during the dark
days Of 1880 and 1881 lived at absolute
peace with his tenants. Quite recently
some of these men pushed down a wall
of his to let them have some fifty
acres or SO OF grazing land. The result
is very interesting Under one Of the
many acts for the protection of Irish
landlords he was able to go before
county court judge and obtain damages
against the local authority of the dis
trict, which charged them on to the rate
payers-wrongdoers and innocent persons
alike. The sum of R6 or 80 was claim
ed and duly awarded. This landlord
then discovered that, as the biggest rate
payer, he would have to pay about
fifth of the damages himself, while his
costs, for none were allowed, amounted
to more than the sum he received. Add
to this three days that he had to spend
in a dirty court house, in a small Irish
town, and 1t will be evident that those
| who committed the outrage had the best
Of the bargain.
In this Connection I have used the
term sufferers by the Land act. AS
| matter Of fact, apart from a nominal re-
duction Of income. many landlords real
| Nv benefited by the act. being able thence
| forward to collect their rents without
| difficulty, and to live In the country with
out danger to life or even fear OF ass
sault.