ums for diseases of which
they do not understand the nature, not only is it proved, that
generally, in Ireland, the tenantry without leases, and holding at fair
rents, are in better circumstances than those occupying under old
leases, and paying very low rents; but it is made manifest, by undoubted
testimony, that the possession of a farm, at an under rent, and for a
long tenure, almost universally leads to poverty and ruin; and any
person who knows the Irish character can easily account for this seeming
anomaly. The love of display and the spirit of ambition which pervade
all classes in Ireland, leads every one to assume a station, and incur
an expenditure, far beyond what his circumstances would entitle him to.
The shopkeeper styles himself a merchant, and must have a car and a
country-house; the man who has a long lease of fifty or sixty acres at
an under rent, sets up at once for what is significantly termed a "_half
sir_;" he will be quite above doing any thing for himself, and will keep
two or three servant-maids, while he has four or five "_young ladies_"
walking about doing nothing. The time which should be devoted to
business, is by all classes consumed in pleasure or in politics; and the
consequences are to be seen in the embarrassments of the gentry, the
bankruptcy of the tradesmen, and the poverty of the people.

"I have found by experience," says Mr Wilson--a large proprietor and
most painstaking landlord of the county Clare, who was examined before
the commission--"that leases are positive bars to improvement, _however
low the rent_; and I hand in several cases as proving my assertion."
Amongst them was one statement furnished by Mr Fitzgerald, the agent of
Mr Vandeleur, of the condition of the tenantry on a large farm of that
gentleman's estate which had lately fallen out of lease. "This tract of
land was divided into seven parts, six of which were originally let to
persons who under-let at very _considerable profit-rents to others; on
those divisions the occupying tenantry were, in general, in comfortable
circumstances_." The seventh portion had been leased to persons in the
rank of cotters or small farmers, "and their families are still in
possession, _all of them in a state of poverty_, although there were
only eight holdings on a hundred and seventeen plantation acres, and
they paid but L27: 10s: 2 for that extent of land, which was valued
under the poor-law valuation at L68, and in addition to which t