ral religion, frequently despising those ministers whom they outwardly affect to reverence; and when the clergy are despised, the religion of which they are the teachers is necessarily very little regarded. At present, Roman Catholic priests are little better than a superior class of mendicants, subsisting on contributions levied, like the benevolences of old, frequently on a very reluctant people; and, indeed, one chief cause of the earnest desire sometimes evinced by the lower orders for what they call Emancipation, is the hope that they would thereupon be relieved from the exactions which are now wrung from them for the support of their priesthood, by the appropriation of government funds for that purpose. As to their refusing such a provision, if made, whether in conjunction with Catholic Emancipation or not, that is quite out of the question. The Irish peasantry are so keenly alive to the value of the small portion of money they get into their possession, that I can assure you, were the priest to continue his demands upon it, while they were aware he refused to take the stipend which lay waiting for him at the treasury, he possesses no influence over their minds which would prevent them from expressing their opinion on the subject in a manner that would quickly bring him to his senses." The rent of land in Ireland has been decidedly increasing during the last twenty years, independently of any adventitious circumstances, such as war-prices, or any other unnatural stimulant. It is commonly asserted, that the utmost farthing which the land will afford is wrung from the tenantry; that only the minimum which will support existence is left to the cultivator of the soil, and that minimum in the lowest species of food, namely potatoes. Our author here points out a fallacy in this statement. It is true, he allows, that the cultivator gets much less from the land for himself than he should do; but it is not true that this evil arises from the landlord receiving too much. The real cause is, that the land is not made to produce nearly so much as it is capable of producing; and the rea! remedy is, not to reduce the rents, but to make the land produce more, by better cultivation and more judicious management. It is now an established fact, that lands in Ireland pay a much lower rent, in proportion to their real value, than lands in England do; that is, that the Irish landlord receives as rent a smaller proportion of the crop his land is capable of producing than the English landlord does: "However, the sticklers for Ireland's measureless misery enter a demurrer to our statement here, in these terms: True, it has been proved that land in Ireland pays less in proportion to its capability of producing than it does in England; but then, with reference to what it actually does produce, it pays a much larger proportion; and it is with this, and not with capabilities, which are never called into action, that the cultivator has to do; if his own share be insufficient, the misery to him is not a jot the less, because the rest is not all in the pocket of the landlord, but partly there, and partly in the bosom of the earth.' Now, there is some truth in all this; but in whom lies the defect of the present state of things? Surely in the tenant, and not in the landlord: Surely the remedy must come from improving the tillage, not from diminishing the rent. In truth, the tillage has improved within the last dozen years, and that most amazingly; but there is yet room for immense further improvement, and the way to bring it about is to keep the rents high. I am here deliberately advising a line of conduct, on the part of the landed proprietors, which, if adopted without the accompaniment of any means of mitigating the hardships of the case, must needs be productive of a great deal of individual privation, even to misery; yet I do advise it even in this uncompromising shape, rather than not at all.” Our author says boldly, that the Irish peasantry must, and, under all ordinary circumstances, will, bear like men considerable hardship and privation a little longer, till they acquire some capital and farther skill in tillage, to place them on a level with the English farmer. For a sufficient number of farmers, who are possessed of both capital and skill, are now engaged in the cultivation of land in Ireland, to produce some degree of competition for ground, at a rate which only a superior degree of cultivation can afford, in addition to supporting the farmer as he ought to be supported; and it would be a very short-sighted and miserable sort of patriotism or humanity, which would induce a proprietor to set his lands at a low rate to bad cultivators, because they were ignorant of their business, and would till the land badly, rather than to others who could afford to pay him higher, for the very reason that they would till his land better: “My own personal experience teaches me, that in practice the effect is more frequently to retain the old occupant at an increased rent, than to introduce a new one. The tenant is determined not to be forced out of his farm and outdone by the stranger, and therefore he offers more than the land is worth to him. Many will assert that it is a very cruel proceeding of the landlord to take his additional money: I have no hesitation in affirming, that it is a great shame for him if he do not. The immediate consequence is, that the man suffers extreme privation; but the ultimate result is, that he becomes a better farmer. He knows that the stranger who offered the larger rent, would both make that rent out of the land and live well; with this conviction he struggles, and struggles success fully, to arrive at the same degree of perfection. It is very true, that if the landlord be a gentleman, and still more if he be a Christian, he will not permit his tenant to suffer the extremity of want in the struggle, without interfering to relieve his necessity; but this is a matter totally distinct from the setting of his land. If we let our brother perish of cold or hanger, whilst we have clothes and food enough, and to spare, we shall assuredly fall under Father Lawlor's curse, and lie hot hereafter; but it is in nowise inconsistent with justice or humanity, so to dispose of our estates, that they may produce the utmost possible quantity of food to human beings, and of profit to ourselves." The allusion to Father Lawlor's curse can only be understood from a little story, which we quote, as it tells truths on another important subject: “A poor blind old woman, or, as she called herself, a dark and desolate widow, who lived in our neighbourhood, came to me one day, to tell me that some pious ladies had offered her some warm blankets for the winter, which was then setting in, if she would undertake to attend the reading of the Scriptures and of prayers, which took place daily in their great hall, but, she added, that she was afeard' to go. I advised her by all means to take the blankets and the pray ers, as pleasant and profitable for her body and soul; but if she felt scruples of conscience, to obtain first the priest's permission, which I was sure he would not deny, considering the urgency of the case. Some days after, I met her begging, when this brief and pithy dialogue ensued: Well, Catty, did you get the blankets?'' Plase your honor, Father Lawlor laid me under a curse, if I wint bear wid the could lying here, nor to lie to the ladies, an' I thought it better to hot hereafter.' After some farther parley to ascertain the truth of the facts, I promised her the blankets unconditionally. Oh, musha, musha, thin the heavens be your honor's bed,' was her prayer at parting, an' my blessin and the blessin of the widow be about and presarve you and yours from sin, sickness, and sorrow, I pray God.' you, pos In speaking of the relations between tenant and landlord, this gentleman says, that he feels and reasons as a resident proprietor of land. Of the systems of Middlemen and of the evils, or benefits arising from them, he has heard much, but knows nothing of them from his own knowledge. He has lived amongst men of their own agents, and, as far as is property, who manage their estates by sible, admit no other to intervene between themselves and the occupiers of the soil; who consult the well-being of their tenantry by personal attention to their condition, so far as is consistent with the other business of life which their station in society demands of them, and with the enjoyment of the pleasures to which they deem themselves fairly entitled by their rank and property. It is necessary that we in Britain, when talking of rentals in Ireland, should advert to certain trifling differences in the measurement and cur rency of the two countries, which, although perfectly well known in the abstract, people let slip out of their memories when they see frightful statements printed, setting forth how small the farms are, and how large the rent. For example, when we hear that a particular individual has a farm in Ireland of thirty acres, for which he pays sixty pounds rent, we imagine he has but thirty acres, and that he does pay sixty pounds, whereas the words really mean that he has fortynine acres of land, and that he pays something less than fifty-five pounds eight shillings; that, in short, he really pays something less than twenty-three shillings an acre, and not two pounds an acre for his land. Now, this difference in measurement and currency not only enters into all calculations made previously to January 1826, but still exists in almost all bargains made between landlord and tenant, and also universally pervades the common parlance of society in Ireland: “Irish_lineal measure, then, was to English lineal measure in the ratio of fourteen to eleven, that is to say, eleven Irish miles, or eleven Irish perches, equal fourteen English miles or fourteen English perches in length, but land or acres being measured both in length and in breadth, this ratio and difference enters both the one way and the other into the computation, and Irish acres are to English as the product of fourteen multiplied by fourteen is to the product of eleven multiplied by eleven, that is as 196 to 121, or 121 acres of plantation measure as used in Ireland equal 196 acres of statute measures as used in England. Again, any given sum in Irish currency was to the same nominal sum in English currency in the ratio of twelve to thirteen; that is to say, L. 13 Irish equal only L. 12 English-hence if a farmer in England pay 28s. rent and 12s. poor rates, making together L.2 a-year for an acre of land, and a farmer in Ireland who pays no poor rates, be charged L.2 ayear rent for an acre of land, then, in order to find the annual sum paid for a given space of land in Ireland, as compared with that paid for the same space of land in England, we must diminish the rent of the Irish farmer in a ratio compounded of the ratios of 196 to 121, and of 13 to 12, which, expressed in its lowest terms is as 637 to 363; therefore the Irishman's payment, instead of being equal to the Englishman's, as it seemed at first, turns out to be in reality only three hundred and sixty-three six hundred and thirty sevenths, or little more than one-half." Other and important considerations enter into a comparison of the productive powers and consequent value of these equal superficies. The soil of Ireland, taking acre for acre, is greatly more fertile than that of England. The author thinks himself justified by the best information he could collect, in stating, that a given quantity of average land in Ireland is capable of producing, with an equal expenditure of labour and capital, one tenth more than an equal quantity of average land in England. The climate, too, is greatly more favourable to the farmer. In England, not only is it necessary to devote a considerable portion of his farm to green crops for winter-feeding, but he must likewise provide houses for his cattle and his corn; and in the southern counties, even for his hay, to secure it against the frost and snow. In Ireland, the necessity for such precautions does not exist. Snow rarely lies on the ground many hours; frosts are neither lasting nor intense. There is no occasion for either green crops or storehouses for cattle, at least except as a speculation to fatten them for market, and a little hay brings them well through the severest of their ordinary winters. Our author has a happy knack of illustrating all his positions by interesting facts: "In the year 1822 our neighbour, Mr C-, purchased a small estate in Corkshire. As we did not then enjoy great quietness, lands sold considerably under even their usual low rate with us. He paid exactly eighteen years' purchase on the then rent of thirty shillings the Irish acre. What between the natural expiring of leases, the non-payment of rent and other causes, he found that about a thousand acres of average land would devolve into his own hands to reset and model as he pleased, but which however was already occupied by a very numerous tenantry, whom it would have been a harsh and unfeeling thing to turn adrift. A diligent inquiry was instituted, and all those who had no natural claim upon the land, such as long residence, meritorious conduct, or the expenditure of capital in permanent improvement, were dispossessed entirely-eleemosynary aid being afforded to such as required it, and all being assisted in every way that could be devised to mitigate the necessary evil. "Still there remained on the thousand acres forty families, whom he was unwilling to put off the lands, and though he would greatly have preferred dividing it into not more than three farms or four, he determined for their sakes to retain them all. ten whom he deemed most deserving, Four hundred acres he divided amongst in farms of from thirty to fifty acres,-the rest had twenty acres each; but he made this condition in every agreement-that he himself was to lay out L.3 an acre in draining, fencing, and manuring the land, to bring it into excellent condition, and that they were to pay L.2 an acre permanent rent, instead of 30s. as before; and further, that each was to keep at least a third of his farm in grass land, unless he obtained a special provision to break up more. Mr C likewise put their cabins into thorough repair. The plan succeeded to his wish, and if adding L.3 an acre expended to the L.27 originally paid, we make the purchase money the L30 an acre, and call the rent L. 2 an acre, which it is, instead of 30s. which it was, he has now an admirable estate at fifteen years' purchase, and the rents regularly paid. "The present condition and mode of proceeding of his lowest class of tenantry above mentioned is generally as follows: -the twenty acres of land are subdivided thus-nine acres in grass, one in oats, four in wheat, four in potatoes, half an acre in flax, half an acre set by the tenant himself as potatoe garden, to a man whose additional labour he requires in spring and autumn, and one acre left fallow; others have four acres of wheat, four of oats, four of potatoes, and eight of pasture and meadow; and some, who have leave to break a greater proportion of their ground, have four equal divisions of wheat, oats, potatoes, and grass land. It is to be observed, that potatoes are always looked on as the crop which puts the ground in heart, as it is called, because for it, and for it only, the ground is manured, and it is considered equally beneficial for the soil to manure and take a crop of potatoes, as to let the ground lie fallow without manure; after the potatoes comes wheat, and the third year a crop of oats-the reason of requiring a certain portion to be kept in grass, is that it is a security against the tenant exhaust ing his farm by extreme tillage, and then running away or requiring an abatement of rent. Each of the occupiers of those farms has four cows, all of them one and some two horses, from three to seven pigs, and poultry in abundance. The wheat alone pays the rent; the grass, hay, and oats feed the four cows and two horses; the potatoes more than supply the bipeds and the pigs; and the surplus, together with the butter, a most import ant item, and skim-milk cheese, which a Scotch steward has introduced the fashion of making, suffices to pay tithe and other land charges, purchase and repair implements, shoe the horse, clothe the family, bay soap and candle, and pay the priest. Four good hogs give more than a thousand weight of bacon, so that the family may have three pounds a-day of this besides sweet and sour milk and eggs, and each man is allowed a right of turfary on Mr C's bog, to supply his own house with fuel." It is obvious that such a system as this would answer well only where the landlord makes the expensive improvements himself, and throws the burden on the tenant in the shape of increased rent. In so poor a country as Ireland, this seems the most rational way; at least, wherever the landtion to his estate to prevent the tenant lord is intent to pay sufficient attenfrom wasting his land. "But you will ask, is it possible that the mode of living I have just described is a fair specimen of the general condition of the agricultural population of the country? Would to God I could answer yes. The truth however is, that the general condition is nothing nearly so comfortable, but there is no earthly reason why it should not be quite as much so. If the landed proprietors had only the common sense and common prudence of Christian men, to reside, were it but a month or two in summer, on their own estates, and make themselves thoroughly well acquainted with their own tenantry, and be a terror to evil doers, especially those who do evil to themselves, though it be themselves only, and a praise to them that do well. Of all nations whom I have known, the lower orders in Ireland most require the stimulant of praise, when deserved, and most profit by it when judiciously given; they are certainly a sensitive people, and they love and appreciate justice to a degree that exceeds belief. I do not so much mean justice dealt out for money in a court of law, though they have a hankering after that too, as equity in the breast of a landlord or an employer. The man, who, living amongst them, fails not to show, were it but in kind words, his sense of the patient continuing in well-doing of the good, and who exercises harshness only towards those who deserve it at his hands, may be certain of being not only respected, but beloved by them even in the moment of his chiding; and all those who will become, like Homer's heroes, the shepherds of their people, may rest assured they will equally with them be honoured by their people like a god." We are sorry to be obliged to stop short, as the pamphlet contains much more valuable and curious matter, and we had a few things to say ourselves; but other opportunities will occur of saying them, and we leave the above extracts to the reflection of our read ers. SONG OF EMIGRATION. THERE was heard a song on the chiming sea, Of fresh green lands, and of pastures new, But ever and anon A murmur of farewell Told, by its plaintive tone, That from woman's lip it fell. "Away, away, o'er the foaming main!” We will shape our course by a brighter star; "But alas! that we should go," Sang the farewell voices then, "From the homesteads warm and low, "We will rear new homes, under trees that glow And sit in its shadow at day's decline, Through the green savannas, all bright and still." "But woe for that sweet shade Midst the birds and honey-bees!" "All, all our own shall the forests be, None shall say, ' Hither, no farther pass !' "But oh! the grey church tower, And the sound of the Sabbath bell, "We will give the names of our fearless race "But who will teach the flowers, Which our children loved, to dwell In a soil that is not ours? -Home, home, and friends, farewell!" F. H. |