Year: 1879

Tough and onward to swinford do not certainly
in danger of any extremity. Therefore leave
Them In fact. il to take the word OF land
agsnt-any land agent selected at random-whose
opinion asked, the country is net in one-tenth
as bad q condition as has been represented. But
however far of anything like famine may be.
ton OF the modes Of life of the poorer peasantry OF
their houses. their clothing and their diet and not
feel that they reduced to the lowest conditions OF
existence which seem possible to humanity must
confess that looking at their land and their means
of them seem to have been for years sustaining
almost i'm possible rental. certainly one which the
land unable bear the occupiers to be permit
ted live to eat at all. The result Of the present
system that they have for years been living.
not upon the legitimate profits of the soil. or Of
their own labor, but upon kind OF Pawning or
their crops and cattle-a kind OF onlnroking IN u
Is entirely mistake to imagine that this year. bad as
it is in far as crops are concerned Is worse than
last year. The truth is 1t Ia better. and the people
tell you SO. in everything excepting the price of
cattle. 1t is not upon any special extremity caused
upon crisis which for three four years in sue
cession been steadily gathering and Is now pre-
cipitAted The peasantry thems elves the shopkeep-
country. complain bitterly OF the want OF sympathy
shown by some proprietors to those whoehold from
them, having within late date raised the rents to
point very much above their natural level and hav-
ing refused now to make any abatement but. on the
contrary. urged them to pay up The complaints
tial ana exist against no landlord in particular.


TALKS WITH THE PEOPLE.


Here some OF the sa4ements made ana which
believe entirely true not only regards the con-
diton of the people and their rents but Us regards
the condition Of the crops. They were furnished to
me in reply inquiries made upon the spot in the
villages of Aghagower and the surrounding districts
deep in the mountain passes about hve miles south
is the principal mainstay OF the people; but all the
testimony seems to indicate that by the middle OF
January there will hardly be one left in some of
the houses and that in the best there will not
be single house in which the supply will last till
Nav. The average supply will be used up between
Candlemas and Patrck's Day-lst of February to the
18th Marchand then there is no resource left but
Indian meal. Here. much more than III those DIS.
indeed small, soapy, scarce and ill-havored, and.
what is than all. are not more than from
telligent and kindly individual VINO spoke to me
and who had long been inquiring into this matter.
aopa aoS arS so with fact he said 1.-THE
potato crop here. like all other crops this year, did
not ripen ut all owing to the continuous wet and
want Of sun You see the result in those wee yellow
poteens (rubbishy potatoesl that you meet every
whore. The crops could not grow in the scalding
earth, and there was not heat and sunlight ut the
proper time to develop the tubers. Hence the bad
quality and inadequate supply.


HARvEsTs OF PAST YEARS.


sAfter the potatoes the next crop the poor has
to depend upon within these bleak and dismal noun
tain slopes is the oats. Take instance under my
two calves aged about fifteen months each sold here
for sle This year the two brother calves. bred
the same age and quality were with dificuty sold
one for f3 l0s.. the other not at all. and could
not get even bidder. Here is clear tall
of Atty or sixty per cent in cattle. added
to over fifty per cant loss in crops Yet the agents
and landlords think 1t great concession to give
q reduction of fifteen twenty per cent the
rents and many will give nothing Whatever. II the
rents had all along been at the fair value OF land
this might be excusable enough But they have
been for years and years set much above the fair
value. Agents and proprietors may well turn round
say they have said. tnat the people have been
when times were more favorable as to be able to
meet times like the present But the truth Is the
unfortunate people never had anything to save and
never got chance Of saving anything. have been
observing the of events for years and noting
how the fortunes of the poor creatures fuctuated:
l have seen how the times began slowly to mend
and mend the rents went steadily up and up There
was margin profit left the peasant tiller.
and the poor man remained poor still. The moment
q tenant was thought to be beginning to improve
his condition he was instantly noticed OF rse of
rent SO that he always overweighted and strug-
Cling against odds too many for him..


JOHN BRIGHT IRELAND.


Mr. John George MacCarthy, member Of Parla-
ment for Mallow, has taken Q prominent part in
urging ON the government to carry out scheme for
the reclamation of waste lands, according to plan
sketched by late Sir Robert Peel in 1s4s Helstely
wrote to Mr.. John Bright asking him to cooperate
by using his great influence in the House Of Com.
mons to secure the adoption of some measure OF
this kind. Mr. Bright has given the following re.
ply


MY DEAR SIR wish I knew enough OF your
plan to be able to express opinion upon it. but


do not. and unwilling to take the responsible
ity of urging the government to some great scheme
OF expenditure OF which cannot see the end or the
result. What you have written seems to me most
worthy of consideration by the government. and
hope something may be done; but all administra-
tions afraid Of touching the proprietors Of land
aud. the rights OF property are. fear. deemed
sacred than the comfort and even the lives, Of
the people. II the landowners are in favor
OF extensive schemes of drainage then there
would be difficulty in passing them
through Parliament or in forming commission to
put them into execution. am afraid anything that
be done now will be Of little avail against the
threatened suffering; but your whole land question
requires to be dealt with by government strong In
Parliament and not less strong In sympathy with the
Irish people. think there is nothing which IL pos
sibie and which it would be wise to do. that might
not be done for Ireland, II her representatives in
Parliament would unite with the liberal party in q
combined and honest action for the real beneht Of
their country. Whether such union will ever come
1 know not; without it fear your country and mine
may suffer long spell Of the rule of the party which
now directs the destiny Of both. am, very truly.
yours, JOHN BRIGHT.