law, that ejectment at
quarter-sessions should be abolished, and that the landlord should, in
every case, be sent to the superior courts for redress. To make such an
alteration in the law would be unjust towards the landlord--as it would
compel him to expend a large sum in regaining possession of his land, in
addition to the loss of his rent, (if he had a pauper to deal with;) and
it would be injurious to the interests of the tenant, as t would give a
tyrannical and oppressive landlord the power of overwhelming the poor
but honest man, who only wanted time to redeem, by the load of law-costs
he would be enabled to put upon him.

Having shown that the law gives the Irish landlord no power incompatible
with justice, or unnecessary for the due maintenance of his rights--in
fact that, in respect of it, he is much more restricted than the
mercantile man--we are at a loss to see how the law can be altered, and
at the same time the rights of property be preserved. It may be said,
the Irish tenant has no claim at the termination of his lease for any
improvements he may have effected; neither has the English tenant, if he
possess a lease. Although, in point of fact, so far as the small Irish
farmer is concerned, this is quite an ideal grievance; for he never
makes any improvement, or if he does, and pays his rent, he is never
disturbed--still an amendment in the law in this respect, may stimulate
to industry, and may be effected with advantage to all parties. Against
the gentlemen farmers, injustice of this kind may sometimes be
perpetrated, and therefore legislation on the subject would be of use;
but the poor man who meets his engagements, is never, unless under
extraordinary circumstances, removed; and where such is the case, he is
almost invariably amply remunerated. Solitary instances of contrary
conduct pursued towards him, may no doubt be adduced; but they are too
few in any way to account for the present state of dissatisfaction so
universally prevalent.

The Irish landlord, then, has no power which he can legally employ for
the oppression of his tenant, which is not possessed by all other
British landlords. If he violate the law, of course the legal tribunals
will afford redress. And are we to be told that that redress would not
be sought for; that the wardens and priests, the leading agitators, or
the people themselves, would not report their sufferings; and that the
power, and influence, and money of the Association