urbed districts it
is almost impossible to get any man to do so.) Such is the dread of
taking land, from the occupation of which others have been expelled,
even on account of owing the most unreasonable arrears, that farms
frequently remain waste for years, without any person daring to bid for
them. Now if public opinion, and the dread of the punishment which is
sure to follow, operate so powerfully in favour of the really blamable
person, as to keep his land untenanted, how much more influence will
they possess in restraining any man from seeking to obtain the land of
another, if that other be unobjectionable in character, solvent in
circumstances, and still in possession? Such a thing is never heard of.
The landlord, if he were bad enough, might try to induce men to act so;
but he could not effect it. If death pursue the man who undertakes to
rent unoccupied ground, as in most instances it does, how much more
certain would it be to overtake him whose conduct was the means of
driving from his home a solvent and industrious person? If a landlord
distrain for rent, he can find no bidders for the crops or cattle; how
much more difficult will it be for him to obtain bidders for land? We
have frequently heard the bad cultivation of the land in Ireland
attributed to the constant shifting of the tenantry: we are quite
convinced the result of the enquiry now instituted will show how
unfounded this supposition is, and that the shifting or removal of the
tenants, will be found to be a matter of much more rare occurrence in
Ireland than in England. That scarcity and want are periodically
experienced in Ireland, is but too true. Those visitations (which, thank
God, are not frequent) arise from the failure of the potato crops, and
generally occur in those districts most densely populated, and
consequently worst tilled; in fact, they are greatly to be attributed to
the neglect of the people themselves; who will not take the trouble of
using those precautions against rot, which ought always to be adopted on
a moist soil or in a mountainous country: but to talk of persons dying
in Ireland of starvation is absurd, and bespeaks an utter ignorance of
the national character. There are poor-houses; and besides, in Ireland,
the hungry man may enter without hesitation, and share without apology
in the meal of his more wealthy neighbour; and lodging, humble though it
be, is never denied to the houseless or the destitute. Those who accuse
Irish