Tithes in Ireland: first report

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JtwepA Gre«i, Esq. 
24 January 1832. 

42 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE 501. 
Are there any tithe-free lands?—Yes; 
where that unfortunate affray took place, I believe one half of the lane, and 1,000 acres adjoining, is tithe free. 

502. 
Has the rent of that land been paid ?—Yes. 
503. 
Has any disturbance taken place where there was no tithe ?—Not 
that I am aware of. 

504. 
Then that land which is tithe-free pays an increased rent, in proportion to the land that is subject to tithe?—I 
should suppose that land is let for the full amount. 
505. 
You stated that the priests said they had not influence with their parish-ioners on the subject of tithes; do you not think the priest is very much losing his influence over the people upon that point as well as upon others ?—More 
upon tithes than upon any other subject. 

506. 
Do not you think it would be a very dangerous example if the present combination against tithe should so far succeed as to exempt those that have been concerned in it from the payment of the arrears that are due ?—-
Yes ; I think it would be a very hard case indeed upon the clergyman, if they should lose their arrears without some compensation. 
507. 
Do not you think it would be a great encouragement to other persons to resist the payment of tithes if they felt satisfied that by that resistance they could be protected from the payment of any arrears that might become due ?—Yes, 
to a certainty it would. 
508. 
Supposing this combination should be successful, and that two years hence emissaries should come from Dublin to each barony of Kilkenny and advise the smaller landholders not to pay rent, what do you think would be the effect pro-duced by those emissaries ?—I 
do not think that they would act up to the same advice as they would about tithes. 

509. 
Are not the-means of defeating the remedy of the landlord by distress very nearly the same with the means of defeating the remedy of the clergyman for tithe, except so far as ejectment is concerned ?—I 
think, exactly the same ; in fact, the clergyman has, under the Composition Act, exactly the same power as the land-lord has. 
510. 
In the case of a distress by the landlord, if there was a general combination to refuse to purchase the cattle, would not the landlord who had many small occu-piers have great difficulty in recovering his rent ?—Certainly. 
511. 
Is not there a great competition in Ireland, in the endeavour to obtain land, amongst the farmers ?—Yes. 
512. 
Is not there a great reluctance amongst all the farmers of Ireland to be dispossessed of their land?—Yes. 
513. 
Would not that be the result by admitting the rent of their land to run in arrear ?—Certainly; 
no landlord would keep a bad tenant if he could get rid of him and get a good one. 
514. 
Since the reduction in the prices of the produce of land in Ireland, has not the priest become a heavy incumbrance upon the land itself, and do not the people complain of the difficulty of paying their own clergy as well as the Protestant clergy?—I 
think not, generally speaking. 
515. 
Does not the Roman-catholic clergyman in Ireland get out of the land very nearly as much as the Protestant clergyman ?—I 
think it is very difficult to say, for you never can ascertain exactly from the priest what he collects. 
516. 
You have stated that tithes were a great subject of popular excitement upon Lord Duncannon's election; is not it a popular subject upon every election in Ireland on the part of the popular candidate ?—Yes; 
but in that case I do not think it was well judged. 
517. 
Is not the Subletting Act also a subject of popular excitement ?—The 
Subletting Act has been a subject of discussion too. 
518. 
You stated that the opposition to tithe in Kilkenny commenced in the parish of Graigue ; can you state under what circumstances it broke out there ?— 
In consequence of a distress for composition-rent made by Mr. 
Alcock, rector-of that parish, and a determination on the part of the people from that and the ad-joining neighbourhood to oppose it, as well as any other attempts which Mr. 
Alcock might make to distrain, induced Government to send such a protecting force to Graigue. 
519. 
Was there not a distress on some land held by the priest of that parish?— 
Yos; the horse of the parish priest was distrained and sold ; -no opposition was given to the sale. 

520.